The
Supreme Court on Thursday continued hearing a suo motu case on the management
of stray dogs, raising serious concerns about public safety, rising dog bite
cases and poor enforcement of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules by local
bodies across India.
A
three-judge Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria is
examining the issue amid rise in dog bite incidents across the country.
During
the hearing, the top court made observations on human behaviour around dogs.
"The dog can always smell a human who is afraid of dogs. It will always
attack when it senses that. We are talking from personal experience," the
Bench said.
When a dog lover present in the
courtroom disagreed by nodding her head, the Bench said, "Madam, don’t nod
your head. If they know you are scared, there is a higher chance they will
attack you. Even your pet will do it."
The issue gained national
attention last year after a Bench led by Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan
ordered Delhi’s municipal bodies to round up and shelter stray dogs. The move
triggered protests from animal rights groups.
That
order was later modified by the present Bench, which directed that sterilised
and vaccinated dogs should be released instead of being permanently housed in
shelters.
In
November 2025, the court asked state governments and the National Highways
Authority of India (NHAI) to ensure the removal of stray animals from highways across the
country.
On
Wednesday, the apex court criticised municipal authorities and local bodies for
failing to properly implement the ABC Rules, noting the growing number of dog
bite incidents.