The court specified that it was making some revisions to its previous decision and order, and these would now apply across the entire country, not just Delhi-NCR. Notices are being issued to all state governments, and all pending cases in the High Courts are being transferred here. The three-member Supreme Court bench, chaired by Justice Vikram Nath, is hearing the case concerning stray dogs.

The Supreme Court ruled that stray dogs should be vaccinated and returned to the same area from which they were captured. This decision is considered a major victory for dog lovers. The court has ordered the release of captured stray dogs. The initial decision from the Supreme Court had been met with nationwide opposition.

The court has ordered that rabies-infected dogs should be identified and not released. Moreover, rabies-infected dogs roaming outside should be captured and moved to shelter homes.

The Supreme Court has prohibited feeding dogs in public. Separate feeding areas will be established for stray dogs. Numerous incidents have occurred due to such feeding practices. Dog bites have resulted in rabies and several deaths/serious injuries to young children. Therefore, the court has determined that feeding in public poses a risk. The court issued a warning that action will be taken against anyone who feeds dogs in public.

On August 11th, the Supreme Court directed the administration to shift all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelter homes within the next 8 weeks. This order was met with nationwide opposition. Consequently, people requested the court to reconsider the matter. The CJI also indicated that the court would consider the matter. Following this, exactly 10 days later, the Supreme Court has made some revisions to its decision. All captured stray dogs will soon be vaccinated and released.

Chief Justice of India B.R. Gavai indicated his intention to examine the matter of relocating stray dogs within Delhi-NCR. During a Wednesday hearing, a petition advocating for the regular sterilization and vaccination of stray animals was presented before his bench. CJI Gavai responded by saying, “I will look into it,” signaling his commitment to thoroughly consider the issues raised. It is uncertain whether the Chief Justice’s statement specifically referred to the 2024 petition or the recent Supreme Court decision that sparked criticism from animal welfare groups and NGOs.

In a post on the social media platform X, Rahul Gandhi stated that the Supreme Court’s directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR is a step backward from decades of humane, science-backed policy. He emphasized that these animals are not problems to be eliminated.

Addressing the solution for the increasing number of dogs, Rahul Gandhi suggested that shelters, sterilization, vaccination, and community care could keep the streets safe without cruelty. He stated that removing stray animals without consideration is cruel and undermines our humanity, asserting that public safety and animal welfare can coexist.

The Supreme Court’s order includes directives for the immediate establishment of shelters for stray dogs, mandating the creation of shelter homes for 5,000 dogs. The court also clarified that stray dogs captured from the streets will not be released back. The court’s objective is to free Delhi-NCR from stray dogs to ensure the safety of children, women, and the elderly on the streets.

Furthermore, the Supreme Court has instructed that the department responsible for capturing stray dogs must maintain a daily record of the number of dogs captured.

According to recent surveys and data from the Delhi Municipal Corporation, the estimated population of stray dogs in Delhi is approximately 1 million. This decision by the court follows an increase in the number of dogs and cases of dog bites. The ruling has elicited various reactions, with some supporting it and others opposing it.

PETA India’s Advocacy Associate, Shaurya Agarwal, also responded to the Supreme Court’s order, noting that with nearly 1 million dogs in Delhi, less than half have been sterilized, making it challenging to accommodate so many dogs in shelters.

1. Bhutan
According to The Indian Express, Bhutan, a neighboring country of India, became the country to sterilize 100% of stray dogs in 2023. Bhutan started the Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Program in 2021 to do this. However, the sterilization and vaccination program ran in different phases for about 14 years. From 2021 to 2023, more than 1.5 lakh stray dogs were sterilized. The budget of this program was about 29 crore rupees.

2. Morocco
Morocco adopted a humane approach to handle stray dogs. The TNVR program was started in the country, i.e., Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return. This includes catching the dogs, sterilizing them, vaccinating them against rabies, tagging them, and then returning them to their old areas. In the last five years, the government has spent about $23 million (approximately 190 crore rupees) on this program.

3. Netherlands
Netherlands is the first country in Europe today where there is not a single stray dog, whereas at the beginning of the 19th-20th century, their number was very high there. Initially, the government took steps like killing them, rules of patta-mazal, and dog tax, but to avoid tax, people started abandoning dogs. At the end of the 20th century, animal abuse was declared a crime and three major changes were made, heavy tax on dogs purchased from stores, CNVR program (catching, sterilization, vaccination, returning), and a pet-police force, which takes action against abusers and saves animals.

4. Japan
Japan has strict animal welfare rules. Here, stray dogs are caught, kept in quarantine, and encouraged for adoption. Veterinary doctors run low-cost sterilization programs so that the number of stray dogs can be kept under control. Euthanasia is also allowed, but only for sick or dangerous dogs. In some areas like Tokyo, this is done by gas chambers. This method is criticized because it takes 15 minutes for the dogs to suffer to die.

5. South Korea
The number of abandoned pets in South Korea is continuously increasing. To deal with this, the government started the Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) program for stray cats. That is, catching cats, sterilizing them, and then returning them to their old areas.

The court, ordering good treatment for dogs, said that dogs are the most beloved animals in the world and the best friends of humans. It must be ensured that dogs are protected and respected. The Delhi High Court made these observations while hearing the issue of stray dogs roaming on the streets.