BREAKING | Stray Dogs Case: Supreme Court Summons Chief Secretaries of States and UTs Over Failure to File Compliance Affidavits on ABC Rules
Kiran Raj
In the ongoing Stray Dogs matter, the Supreme Court on Monday summoned the Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories—except West Bengal and Telangana—for failing to submit affidavits detailing the steps taken to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules.
On August 22, the Court had directed all States and UTs to file compliance affidavits. During today’s hearing, a bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria noted that only West Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had complied. Consequently, the Court ordered the Chief Secretaries of the remaining States and UTs to appear next Monday to explain the non-compliance. The bench also recorded that few of the defaulting States were not represented during the proceedings.
Justice Vikram Nath expressed strong displeasure over the lack of response, noting that notices had been served and the order had been widely reported. “Continuous incidents are happening and the image of the country is being shown as down in the eyes of foreign nations. We are also reading news reports,” he said.
Justice Nath also questioned Additional Solicitor General Archana Pathak Dave on why the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi had not filed its affidavit. “Why has NCT not filed an affidavit? The Chief Secretary must explain... otherwise cost may be imposed and coercive steps will be taken. Notices were issued to all States and UTs... your officers don’t read newspapers or social media? Everyone has reported this. Once they are aware, they should come forward! All Chief Secretaries to remain present on November 3, else we will hold the Court in auditorium,” Justice Nath remarked.
Background of the Case
The Supreme Court first took suo motu cognizance of the stray dog issue on July 28, following a Times of India report titled “In a City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay the Price.” A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan expressed concern over rising dog bites and rabies incidents, directing Delhi authorities on August 11 to relocate stray dogs to shelters and prevent their release. These directions were also extended to Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad.
The Court cautioned that anyone obstructing the authorities’ actions would face legal consequences and allowed the creation of a special force to handle stray dog collection. However, on August 13, the case was transferred to a three-judge bench led by Justice Vikram Nath after lawyers pointed out that the earlier directions conflicted with existing orders from other benches.
On August 14, the new bench reserved its decision on whether to stay the August 11 order, and on August 22, it ruled that the prohibition on releasing treated and vaccinated dogs was “too harsh.” It clarified under Rule 11(9) of the ABC Rules that sterilized, dewormed, and immunized stray dogs must be released back into the same area, except those infected or suspected of rabies, or showing aggressive behavior.
The bench further prohibited public feeding of stray dogs, directing that designated feeding zones be created. It also reaffirmed that no individual or organization may obstruct municipal authorities acting under the ABC Rules. Expanding the scope of the case to cover the entire country, the Court ordered all States, UTs, Animal Husbandry Secretaries, and local bodies to ensure compliance with the Rules. It also indicated plans to transfer similar petitions pending in High Courts to the Supreme Court to develop a national policy on the issue.
Case Title: In Re: City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price
Neutral Citation: 2025 INSC 1018
Case Number: Suo Moto Writ Petition (Civil) No(s). 5 of 2025, with connected matters
Bench: Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, Justice N. V. Anjaria
