Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly reprimanded the Centre and state governments for failing to address the growing stray dog problem across India. During the hearing, the court warned that states would be held financially accountable for every dog bite that results in injury or death.
The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria, said, “We are going to take the Union government and state governments to task. This issue has been pending for decades, and due to your inaction, the problem has multiplied a thousand times. Complete failure on the part of the governments.”
Justice Vikram Nath added that individuals who feed stray dogs would also be held responsible for incidents involving attacks. “Those feeding stray dogs, bringing them home, or allowing them to roam freely must also be liable. Why should they be permitted to bite or chase people?” he questioned.
The court recalled its previous directions aimed at controlling the menace. On November 7, it had ordered fencing around schools, hospitals, bus depots, sports complexes, and railway stations to prevent stray dogs from entering. Authorities were instructed to relocate dogs to designated shelters after vaccination and sterilisation, ensuring they are not released back to the same location.
The apex court has also broadened the scope of the case beyond Delhi-NCR, mandating that all states and Union Territories participate in implementing the guidelines. Earlier orders, including those from August and October, had highlighted that failure to act on the stray dog issue was damaging India’s global image.
During the January 7 hearing, the bench had observed that it is impossible to predict a dog’s behavior and emphasized the need to keep public roads and essential facilities safe from stray animals. The court stressed that while not all dogs bite, their presence could still lead to accidents and injuries.
