Supreme Court Orders Stray Dogs Removed from Schools, Hospitals, Public Spaces Within 8 Weeks

New Delhi: To curb the “alarming surge” in dog bites, the Supreme Court on Friday mandated the immediate eviction of stray dogs from educational campuses, hospitals, bus terminals, sports facilities, and railway stations across India, with relocation to approved shelters after sterilisation.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria, overseeing a suo motu case on rabies-related fatalities, barred authorities from releasing captured dogs back to their original locations. “Every stray dog must be promptly removed, sterilised, and housed in designated shelters,” the court ruled, setting an eight-week deadline for compliance.

Municipal bodies have been instructed to conduct routine sweeps of government and public premises to eliminate stray habitats. The bench warned of “serious consequences” for any lapses in implementing Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules, demanding detailed compliance affidavits from all states and Union Territories before the next hearing on January 13.

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The suo motu proceedings, triggered on July 28 following reports of child deaths from rabies in Delhi-NCR, previously described the capital’s stray dog crisis as “extremely grim.” The court had earlier prohibited interference with capture operations and mandated professional staffing at shelters for sterilisation, vaccination, and containment.

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In a parallel order, the bench extended the crackdown to roadways, directing the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), state governments, and civic agencies to clear national highways, state roads, and urban streets of stray cattle and other animals. Dedicated highway patrol units must round up livestock and transfer them to shelters equipped for proper care.

Helpline numbers for reporting roadside strays will be installed along all national highways, with chief secretaries personally accountable for enforcement. “Officers failing in duty will face strict action,” the court cautioned.

The ruling reinforces earlier guidelines allowing post-sterilisation release of non-aggressive, rabies-free dogs—while permanently isolating those showing aggression or infection.