Remove stray dogs from public premises, relocate to shelters: Supreme Court

“We have consciously directed the non-release of such stray dogs to the same location from which they were picked up as permitting the same would frustrate the very effect of the directions issued to liberate such institutional areas from the presence of stray dogs,” the bench said, putting the onus on removal of strays on the respective jurisdictional municipal body or authority.

It said it had come to know from news reports about dog-bite incidents within institutional areas. “The recurrence of such incidents, particularly within institutional spaces meant for learning, and recreation, reflects not only administrative apathy but also a systemic failure to secure these premises from preventable hazards. The situation calls for immediate judicial intervention to safeguard the fundamental right to life and safety of citizens, especially children, patients, and sportspersons, under Article 21 of the Constitution of India,” it said.

Noting that “after Independence, despite significant advances in public health, India continues to report one of the world’s highest statistics of rabies-related mortality,” it said that despite the Animal Birth Control Rules, which “established the Capture-Sterilize-Vaccinate-Release (CSVR) model as the principal method for controlling the stray dog population”, the “implementation of these Rules has been ineffective, to say the least, across jurisdictions and the persistence of stray dog population has continued to imperil public safety in many parts of the country”.

Citing news reports about a Welsh entrepreneur in Bengaluru being bitten by a stray dog during a morning run, the bench said it “underscores that the menace is neither confined to rural or densely populated localities nor limited to vulnerable citizens, but has assumed proportions that affect public safety, tourism, and the image of the country in the global perspective”.

It said “data emerging from several States and Union Territories reveal a year-on-year increase in reported dog-bite cases, many occurring within or near public institutions”.

Directing state governments and Union Territories to identify these vulnerable institutional areas within a period of two weeks, it said “administrative heads of the efforts and institutions shall, through their respective local or municipal authorities under the overall supervision of the district magistrate concerned, ensure that the premises are secured by adequate fencing, boundary walls, gates, and such other structural or administrative measures as may be necessary to prevent the ingress of stray dogs”.

It asked the “management of every educational institution, hospital, sports complex, bus stand, railway stations identified under direction” to “designate a nodal officer responsible for the upkeep and cleanliness of the premises and for ensuring that the stray dogs do not enter or inhabit the campus”.

Details of the officer, it said, “shall be displayed permanently at the entrance and notified to the jurisdiction municipal body or authority” and “local municipal authorities and the panchayats shall carry out regular inspections at least once in every three months” to ensure that there are “no stray dog habitats within or in the immediate vicinity of these institutions”.

The bench warned that “any lapse in this regard shall be viewed seriously”.

It directed “the municipal authorities, the road and transport department, the public works department of all the states, and the UTs and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)” to “take a joint coordinated drive to identify stretches of highways and expressways where stray cattle or animals are frequently found and shall take immediate steps for their removal and relocation to designated shelters”.

It said “the cattle and other stray animals so picked up shall be kept in appropriate shelters or Gaushalas or cattle pounds as the case may be and provided with all necessary food, water, and veterinary care in accordance with the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control Rules 2023”.

It said “each authority shall constitute dedicated highway patrol teams and assign existing road safety units for continuous surveillance and immediate response to reports of stray cattle or other animals obstructing the roadways”.

It said the “directions shall be implemented uniformly across India and chief secretaries of all states, UTs, chairpersons of the NHAI, and the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Union of India shall file status compliance certificates within a period of eight weeks from indicating the mechanism established for removal and sheltering of the stray animals from highways, the constitution and functioning of patrol teams, and the operational status of the helpline facilities and installation of sign boards displaying the helpline numbers”.

It will consider the compliance reports on January 13, 2026.