“India Portrayed in Bad Light”: SC Pulls Up States for Ignoring Stray Dog Order

The Supreme Court on Monday expressed strong displeasure at several state governments for failing to submit affidavits confirming compliance with its August directive to capture, sterilise, and release stray dogs nationwide. The bench noted that despite ample time being granted, no satisfactory response had been received.

Supreme Court Slams States Over Inaction

An irked bench observed that numerous incidents of stray dog attacks had been reported since the August order. Recent cases include a child being mauled in Pune, Maharashtra, and another girl attacked by a pack of nearly 20 dogs in the state's Bhandara district.

In Kerala, a man performing a street play on stray dog awareness in Kannur district was bitten, while similar attacks were recorded in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and Warangal, Telangana, within the past two days.

"Yet no reply (has come) from state governments. Your country is being portrayed in a bad light internationally!" the court said sharply. "Two months granted... yet no response!" the bench remarked, demanding immediate explanations from all states and union territories.

Court Summons Chief Secretaries for Explanation

The bench, led by Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria, instructed all chief secretaries to appear personally before the court. "Don't you read newspapers? The order passed on August 22 was widely reported... all chief secretaries from all states to remain personally present in court and explain delay," the judges directed.

The court noted that only West Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had submitted replies. However, these were not yet on record as they were filed during the Diwali holidays. Taking note of this, the bench further questioned why the Delhi government had not filed an affidavit. "MCD has filed a reply, but the Delhi government has not?" the court observed, expressing disappointment.

Rajasthan, Noida, and Chennai Begin Implementation

Among the states, Rajasthan has begun implementing the court's directives. The Department of Autonomous Governance has ordered all municipal bodies, councils, and local authorities to comply strictly. Feeding points are being identified in each ward, and urban bodies are coordinating with resident and animal welfare associations. Stray dogs are to be treated, sterilised, tagged, and released in the same localities.

In Noida, officials have initiated a comprehensive survey to map and monitor the stray dog population. The drive aims to enhance sterilisation, vaccination, and management efforts. Resident welfare associations, apartment groups, and NGOs have been asked to submit detailed reports with photographs of sterilised, unsterilised, aggressive, and rabies-suspect dogs.

Similarly, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) intensified its efforts in September, vaccinating over 46,000 dogs against rabies by mid-month. The civic body also microchipped more than 12,000 dogs and geo-mapped them for better tracking of sterilisation and vaccination records.

Supreme Court's August 22 Directive

The Supreme Court's August 22 order modified its earlier ruling from August 11. It clarified that stray dogs should be released only after sterilisation and vaccination, and only into the same areas from where they were picked up. Exceptions were made for rabid or overly aggressive dogs.

The court directed that the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules be followed, ensuring humane population control. The earlier directive to capture all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR had faced opposition from animal rights activists, prompting the court to review and revise its stance to balance safety concerns with animal welfare principles.