India’s top court allows stray dogs to be released after sterilisation following public outcry

NEW DELHI – India’s Supreme Court modified its order on stray dogs on Aug 22, directing that those picked up from streets in and around Delhi be released after sterilisation and immunisation, after a storm of protests from animal lovers.

Earlier in August, the court ruled that all stray dogs in Delhi and its suburbs be

moved to shelters

following

a rise in the number of cases of rabies, especially among children

. Critics of the ruling had said it could not be implemented because there were not enough shelters.

Animal rights activists signed online petitions asking the court to revoke its decision.

The court ruling also drew criticism from politicians and celebrities. India’s opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called it a “step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy”.

On Aug 22, the court said dogs picked up in the past few weeks in Delhi and its suburbs would be released after sterilisation and immunisation, barring those showing aggressive behaviour or rabies infections.

Former federal minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi told ANI news agency that she was happy with the “scientific decision” of relocating dogs back to their area.

The court has not clarified what “an aggressive dog” is and this remains a grey area, she added.

A three-judge panel of the court said the scope of the case would be expanded across India and the court would formulate a uniform policy for all stray dogs soon.

“On behalf of the community dogs we serve, we thank the three-judge bench for its decision,” animal rights group Peta India said on Aug 22, urging people to adopt dogs and support sterilisation efforts. 

In April, India’s government said nearly 430,000 dog bite incidents were reported nationwide in January, against 3.7 million cases in all of 2024.

India has some 52.5 million stray dogs, a survey about homeless pets by Mars Petcare has shown, with eight million homeless canines in shelters.

Media reports suggest Delhi alone has a million stray dogs.

To curb public feeding of stray dogs, the court also directed the setting up of designated zones. REUTERS