The Supreme Court has stayed its earlier order to catch-and-keep stray dogs in a bid to battle Delhi NCR’s growing stray dogs population and related dog attack cases. Widespread protests and criticism from the country’s animal lovers and NGOs encouraged India’s top court to modify a verdict they’d issued on August 11. Now, instead of locking up dogs permanently in shelters, municipal authorities will deworm, vaccinate and sterilise the dogs and return them to the streets.
Aggressive stray dogs remain in shelters, new feeding rules
However, the three-judge bench of Justices Vikaram Nath, Sandeep Metha, and N V Anjaria clarified that dogs infected with rabies or those displaying aggressive behaviour would remain in shelters.
Additionally, the new ruling also states that feeding stray dogs on public streets is now illegal. The court has directed municipal authorities to set up designated feeding areas within each city ward. Notices will be put up near feeding zones, and legal action will be taken against people breaking the rules. Citizens can also report violations of these animal laws through special municipal helplines.
Rule meant to tackle Delhi’s dog bite and rabies problem
Most of the indie (mixed-breed) dogs that call Delhi streets their home are safe and harmless. The Supreme Court’s goal with its earlier judgment of collecting all dogs and putting them in shelters was to address the surge of dog bite incidents in Delhi, especially to protect children.
The court received backlash from animal welfare experts as there weren’t enough shelters to house these dogs, and they feared the municipal authorities might end up culling the dogs when shelters would get overcrowded. The court’s stipulated 8-week period for MCD to build enough shelters was also unrealistic, experts pointed out.
You can adopt one of Delhi’s 1 million dogs
Estimates place Delhi’s canine population between 500,000 and 1 million. Meanwhile, municipal data states Delhi has a dog bite problem, with the capital clocking in around 2,000 cases of dog bites a day. There were 49 cases of rabies in New Delhi from January 2025 to July 2025, but it is unclear how many of those are a result of dog bites.
If you’re a dog lover, there’s good news. The court announced that animal lovers can apply to municipal corporations to adopt strays. The Supreme Court has also revealed plans to create a national stray dog policy with the involvement of other states and union territories to treat India’s four-legged residents humanely.