The Supreme Court has ordered that all stray dogs in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad be taken off the streets within six to eight weeks and moved to shelters. The decision came during a hearing on the rise in dog-bite incidents. The court said the situation was “extremely grim” and that “infants and young children should not at any cost fall prey to stray dog bites leading to rabies.”
Under the order, civic bodies must create shelter space for at least 5,000 dogs immediately, hire staff for sterilisation and vaccination, install CCTV in shelters, set up a helpline for bite incidents, and consider a dedicated task force. No dog captured in this drive will be returned to the streets, and anyone obstructing the process could face contempt of court.
Animal rights groups have criticised the order, calling it “cruel,” “impractical,” and “illegal” under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which require sterilised and vaccinated dogs to be released back to their original areas. PETA India said housing Delhi’s estimated 10 lakh stray dogs is “simply impossible” and would cause “chaos and suffering.” Dr. Mini Aravindan of PETA warned, “Displacement and jailing of dogs has never worked. Such actions will not curb the dog population, reduce rabies or prevent bites.”
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called the move “a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy,” stressing that public safety and animal welfare “go hand in hand” and that “voiceless souls are not problems to be erased.” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said there is “a better way” to handle the issue, while TMC MP Saket Gokhale has sought a review from the Chief Justice of India.
Celebrities have also joined the opposition. Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan wrote, “These aren’t just ‘stray dogs.’ They are the ones who wait outside your tea stall for a biscuit… the warmth in a cold, uncaring city.” Singer Chinmayi Sripaada called the ruling a “death sentence” and linked it to religious symbolism, while filmmaker Siddharth Anand described it as a “death warrant” and urged people to petition against it. Comedian Vir Das posted pictures of his adopted Indies, urging people to adopt and support NGOs, writing, “Please do your part, big or small, it all adds up.”
Activists have suggested alternatives, including strengthening sterilisation and vaccination programmes, setting up regulated feeding zones, launching awareness drives, punishing illegal breeding and abandonment, and promoting adoption of Indian dogs.
However, many residents support the ruling, seeing it as a necessary step to curb aggressive dog packs and protect children. Some parents say safety must come before compassion, with one writing online, “No one should have to risk the life of their three-year-old child because someone somewhere is compassionate about stray dogs.” Others challenge activists to adopt the animals themselves if they oppose the decision.
Civic bodies now have less than two months to begin mass removal operations, build and staff shelters, ensure CCTV surveillance, and start sterilising and vaccinating captured dogs. The Supreme Court has rejected all intervention pleas, saying it is acting to protect public safety, not to follow public sentiment.
Former Union minister Maneka Gandhi has also called the plan “impractical” and “financially unviable,” estimating it would cost ₹15,000 crore to house all of Delhi’s dogs. Alokparna Sengupta of Humane World for Animals India said relocation “merely shifts the issue elsewhere” and that scaling up ABC programmes is the proven solution.
The Delhi government has pledged to implement the order quickly. Over the coming weeks, petitions, protests, and adoption drives are expected to run alongside the authorities’ efforts to meet the deadline.
