Today, On 28th January, The Supreme Court criticised States for inadequate stray dog control measures and warned action, noting shocking gaps.It highlighted that Assam recorded 1.66 lakh dog bites in 2024 while operating only one dog centre, reflecting severe administrative failure.
The Supreme Court voiced its dissatisfaction regarding what it viewed as insufficient actions taken by various States to sterilize stray dogs, create dog pounds, and remove dogs from educational and other institutional campuses.
A Bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria pointed out that Assam reported 166,000 dog bites in 2024, yet the State has only one dog center.
The Court noted,
“It is astonishing. In 2024 there were 1.66 lakh bites. And in 2025 only in January, there were 20,900. This is shocking,”
In the case of Gujarat, the Court remarked that there was a complete lack of information regarding dog pounds.
Regarding Jharkhand, the Court raised concerns regarding the authenticity of the claim that around 160,000 dogs were sterilized in the last two months, as stated in the State’s affidavit.
During the hearing, Amicus Curiae Gaurav Agrawal presented a note that outlined various issues across different States.
He explained,
“For every State, I have addressed 4 aspects – one, functioning of Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres, two setting up of dog shelters, removal of dogs from institutional areas and removal of cattle etc, three, identification of stretches on highways prone to cattle ingress, and four, steps taken for removal,”
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On Andhra Pradesh, he reported that there are 39 ABC Centres capable of sterilizing 1,619 dogs daily, urging the State to conduct an audit of existing facilities to ensure optimal use. Many institutional areas have already established fencing to manage stray populations.
The State counsel assured,
“Within 3 months substantial improvement will be there,”
For Assam, Agrawal indicated an urgent need for more dog centers, pointing out that currently, only Dibrugarh has one, with insufficient details on their planned rollout beyond six months.
The Bench remarked,
“This affidavit is silent on manpower and human resources,”
In Bihar, Agrawal highlighted that although there are 34 ABC centers and 20,648 dogs sterilized, this number is drastically insufficient given the estimated population of over 600,000 dogs in the State.
The Court commented,
“They are all building castles in the air. None of the States have given data on how many bites except Assam,”
For Goa and Kerala, Agrawal cited the problems caused by stray dogs at beaches, which could adversely affect tourism.
As for Gujarat, the Court observed that no information about dog pounds was available.
The State counsel mentioned,
“I have sought for information on that. We are in the process of creating more animal pounds and shelters,”
The Court expressed skepticism over claims by Jharkhand that 189,000 dogs have been sterilized, questioning the figures provided.
The Bench exclaimed,
“We can’t believe this. 1.89 lakh dogs have been sterilised,”
Karnataka was noted for at least reporting the number of stray dogs in institutions, though they had not yet been removed.
The Court warned,
“We will pass strong strictures against the government for all the States. If you would have said you don’t have information and need more time, we would understand. All the States who have put these vague averments in their affidavits will get a proper dressing down. Total eye wash,”
The counsel for Madhya Pradesh explained ongoing challenges with catching strays due to a lack of shelter homes.
The State counsel replied,
“We will file an additional affidavit,”
Meanwhile, a representative from Maharashtra reported the creation of an online dashboard that would provide real-time data on dog bites, sterilizations, vaccinations, and veterinary centers.
The Bench remarked,
“It is a good beginning. It may perhaps be emulated by other States also,”
In Odisha, the Court noted the significant action taken to remove dogs from institutions, advocating for the establishment of ABC centers in popular tourist spots.
West Bengal’s affidavit stated that 12,000 dogs were sterilized in 2024, with a decline to 10,000 in 2025.
The Bench asked,
“If you have 1-2 lakh in the city, if you vaccinate 10-12000 a year, how will you bring the population under control?”
Finally, for Delhi, Additional Solicitor General SD Sanjay noted that the Chief Secretary had submitted a detailed affidavit addressing sterilization efforts.
The Court said,
“If they are sterilising 68,000 dogs in 8 months, it will be around 80,000 in a year. It will not be sufficient to reduce dog population,”
The session is slated to resume on Thursday at 2 pm.
Previously, on August 22, 2025, a three-judge special bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath, along with Justices Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria, modified its earlier August 11 order that had prohibited the release of stray dogs from shelters.
The suo motu case was initiated on July 28, following media reports of rising stray dog attacks and rabies cases, particularly among children in Delhi.
An earlier order of August 11, passed by a Bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, had created huge controversy. That order had directed that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR must be caught and sent to shelters within eight weeks.
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