New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Thursday sought a comprehensive report from the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), detailing the steps taken by this month-end in compliance with the Supreme Court’s directions about removing stray dogs from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations, and other public places.
Event Context
Team Analysis
A Division Bench comprising Justices Dinesh Mehta and Rajneesh Kumar observed that the rising incidence of dog bites has become a matter of serious concern, while remarking that the common public is genuinely suffering due to the menace posed by stray dogs.
“I don’t know what is your stand but these days it is a big fight between dog lovers and dog haters. Public is really troubled. The common man is really troubled. Every day there are dog bites… monkey menace is even more serious,” the bench said.
The order was passed as the high court (HC) registered suo moto petition to monitor the implementation of Supreme Court’s (SC) stray dog management directions.
Match Outlook
The SC on May 19 refused to modify its November 2025 directions ordering all states and Union territories to remove stray dogs from institutional areas such as schools, hospitals, sports complexes, bus depots and railway stations, and ruled that such dogs could not be released back into these locations even after sterilisation.
Dismissing a batch of applications seeking recall, clarification or modification of the earlier directions, the apex court held that the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023 do not confer any “absolute or unqualified entitlement” to re-release sterilised stray dogs into sensitive public spaces.
The bench directed all HCs across the country to register suo motu continuing mandamus proceedings to monitor the implementation of its stray dog management directions.
This followed after the Delhi government’s counsel submitted that the authorities were working on the issue.
The Delhi HC court during the hearing, meanwhile, has also issued notice to the Centre.
The matter will be heard next on August 3.
