Supreme Court Orders Immediate Stray Dog Sterilisation and Shelter Relocation Across Delhi-NCR; Warns of Action Against Resistance Amid Rabies Fears

New Delhi: In a decisive move to tackle the rising menace of dog bites and rabies cases, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered civic authorities in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to immediately capture, sterilise, and permanently relocate stray dogs to shelters.

A bench of Justice JB Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan issued the directive, stressing that the order must be implemented “without compromise” and at the earliest. The court said, “NCT Delhi, MCD, NMDC shall at the earliest start picking up stray dogs from all localities, more particularly from vulnerable localities and cities. How to do it is for the authorities to decide, and if they have to create a force, do it earlier. However, this should be the first and foremost exercise to make all localities free of stray dogs.”

The bench warned that any individual or organisation obstructing the process would face legal action, stating, “If any individual or organisation comes in the way of picking stray dogs or rounding them up, we will proceed to take action against any such resistance.”

Calling the situation “serious,” the court underlined that the order was issued for the safety of the public, not for any “self-interest,” adding, “No sentiments of any nature can be involved. Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies. The action should inspire confidence that they can move freely without fear of being bitten by stray dogs.”