The Supreme Court reprimanded states for ignoring its directives in the stray dogs case, ordering all Chief Secretaries to appear in physically. Justice Vikram Nath said authorities had been “sleeping over” the Court’s orders despite ample time given.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India on Friday (October 31, 2025) refused to accept a request by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to allow Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories (except West Bengal and Telangana) to appear virtually in the ongoing stray dogs management case.
The Bench, comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta, made it clear that the Chief Secretaries must personally appear before the Court on November 3, 2025, to explain the failure to file compliance affidavits as directed earlier.
Justice Vikram Nath criticized the delay, remarking,
“When we require them to come and file compliance affidavit, they are just sleeping over it. No respect for the order of the court. Then alright, let them come.”
The Bench noted that despite ample time given by the Supreme Court, several state authorities failed to comply with its August 22, 2025, order regarding the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.
Background
On August 22, the apex court expanded the scope of the stray dogs matter beyond the Delhi-NCR region, directing that all States and Union Territories be made parties to the case.
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 directions state that:
- Stray dogs picked up by municipal authorities must be sterilised, vaccinated, dewormed, and released back into the same area they were taken.
- Dogs infected with rabies, suspected of being infected, or showing aggressive behaviour should not be released back into the streets. Instead, they should be sterilised, immunised, and kept in separate pounds or shelters.
- Municipal bodies must create dedicated feeding spaces for stray dogs in every ward to ensure structured management.
The Court also observed that the Animal Birth Control Rules must be applied uniformly across India.
The bench emphasized that the revised directions aim to reduce public health risks while also upholding animal rights.
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.