MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday told the Maharashtra government to step up implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme to stop the growth of the stray dog population, saying that controlling reproduction would make it easier to tackle the wider problem of dog bites and public safety.
It also said the dogs should not be released back at the same locations after sterilisation. The high court took cognisance of the stray dog issue on July 13 following directions from the Supreme Court in its suo motu case, In Re: ‘City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price’. In its May 19, 2025 judgment, the Supreme Court directed states and Union territories to remove stray dogs from schools, hospitals, sports complexes, bus depots and railway stations. The bench sought a compliance report from the state and posted the matter for further hearing on September 11.
It cited inadequate sterilisation, poor waste disposal, lack of perimeter management and low public awareness among the reasons for the rise in dog-bite incidents around public institutions and transport hubs. “You have to concentrate on the ABC program. On the first hand, there should be a stop on the growth of dogs, which is a major problem. If you sterilise the dogs, you have to ensure they don’t have rabies”, the court remarked.
The apex court had noted that implementation of the ABC framework, amended in 2023, remained “suboptimal”. During Friday’s hearing, the state said all the required data was available and would be regularly submitted. The bench said the proceedings should become a “regular exercise” to apprise the court the status and details of each activities undertaken to address the issue. It also referred to the reproduction rate of dogs, and expressed concern over the “growing numbers” of dogs, saying that “they have four to six puppies at a time”.
The apex court had initiated the proceedings last year amid reports of rising dog-bite incidents, including attacks on children, and directed high courts to monitor compliance by the states.
