Dog lovers slam Supreme Court order on relocation of strays: ‘…it’s their home’
Activists said the ruling violates the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which require sterilised and vaccinated dogs to be released back to the same area.
The Supreme Court on Friday ruled that stray dogs will no longer be allowed on the premises of schools, hospitals, transport hubs or sports complexes, and directed that they be removed and relocated to shelters after sterilisation and vaccination.
The order, aimed at preventing dog attacks and improving safety in public spaces, has drawn sharp criticism from animal rights groups, who called it “impractical, inhumane, and contrary to national animal welfare law.”
Activists said the ruling violates the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which require sterilised and vaccinated dogs to be released back to the same area they were picked up from.
“Dogs living on school or railway premises cannot be relocated—it’s their home. The ABC Rules are clear that every dog must be sterilised, vaccinated, and released back. Making exceptions undermines the very basis of animal rights,” said independent activist Sonyaa Khanna.
Speaking to Hindustan Times, Maneka Gandhi, former Union minister and animal welfare advocate, said, “The Supreme Court is asking every municipal body and district magistrate to remove dogs from schools, hospitals, railway stations and bus stops, and build walls around these spaces. How will they build walls at bus stops or railway stations? How will they stop dogs from returning?”
She added, “Ninety-five percent of bite cases happen due to relocation. If roughly 35 lakh dogs are taken out of their territories, where will they go? There are no shelters, and even if they are built, who will fund them?” Gandhi said the more sustainable approach would be to expand sterilisation facilities. “We need 700 ABC centres for 700 districts. In two years, the population can fall from 1.35 crore to 60 lakh. Right now, only 50 districts have such centres,” she said.
Other activists warned that the order could worsen the problem. “It’s a problematic directive, similar to the one issued on August 11. We don’t have enough shelters, and there’s no clarity on how new dogs will be kept out of cleared areas. Chasing them away only makes them aggressive,” said Asher Jesudoss, member of the Delhi Animal Welfare Board.
“The ABC centres in Delhi are in terrible shape. We need to fix what exists before building new systems. This is not scientific population management,” he added.
Gauri Maulekhi, trustee of People for Animals – Public Policy Foundation, said vague court directions were already being misused. “In recent months, we’ve seen dogs being illegally lifted, dumped outside cities, and brutalised. Caregivers, many of them women, have been threatened. Today’s order, without safeguards, will only deepen the crisis,” she said.
Independent activist Salman Ali said the ruling went against “both the rights and dignity of dogs,” urging the government to focus on proper implementation of the ABC programme instead.
At Delhi University’s Kirori Mal College, students expressed dismay at the order. “Our students love the campus dogs, so we took the most practical step—vaccinating them to keep everyone safe. The Supreme Court’s proposal feels impractical and impossible to enforce,” said principal Dinesh Khattar.
A student added, “If ABC programmes are implemented properly and people are educated, measures like this won’t be needed. This world is as much theirs as ours.”
Following earlier court directions restricting dog feeding to designated spots, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) said it would first discourage feeding inside campuses before removing dogs.
“Dogs enter these spaces because they’re fed there. We’ll ask institutions to stop feeding inside and only remove dogs if it continues,” said an MCD official, adding that ABC shelters were struggling because they had not received the ₹1,000 per dog payment this year. “The proposal is stuck in the standing committee,” he said.
Friday’s order follows several earlier directives. On August 11, the court had ordered the MCD and Delhi government to move stray dogs to shelters within eight weeks. The order was modified on August 22, allowing dogs to be returned to their original locations and restricting feeding to designated zones.
