TL;DR

• India's Supreme Court has ordered the removal of all stray dogs from Delhi and surrounding areas.
• The decision follows rising reports of dog attacks, particularly on children, and concerns over rabies.
• Authorities have 8 weeks to capture, sterilize, vaccinate, and relocate the dogs to shelters.
• Animal rights groups call the move "inhumane" and "impractical," warning of massive costs and overcrowded facilities.
• Public opinion remains deeply divided, with protests already underway.

On Monday, India's Supreme Court delivered one of its most sweeping orders on urban animal control, directing civic authorities to remove every stray dog from Delhi and surrounding regions within the next eight weeks. The court cited increasing attacks on children and a troubling rise in rabies cases as the driving force behind the decision.

"Children must feel safe while cycling and playing. The elderly must feel safe on their walks” Justice JB Pardiwala said while announcing the ruling. The order applies to all strays, sterilized or not and warns that resistance to the removals could result in legal action.

The Scale of the Challenge

Delhi's last official stray dog census, conducted in 2012, recorded around 60,000 animals on the streets. Estimates now suggest that figure has ballooned to nearly one million, with packs roaming residential lanes, parks, and construction sites.

Municipal records show that from January to June this year alone, Delhi logged over 35,000 animal bite incidents and 49 rabies cases. Globally, India holds the highest rabies death toll, with the World Health Organization estimating up to 20,000 deaths annually.

What the Ruling Requires

The court's directive sets a strict timeline:

• 8 weeks to build and prepare new dog shelters.
• Mandatory CCTV monitoring to ensure captured dogs are not released back into the streets.
• Sterilization and vaccination for all relocated animals.

The ruling also rejected the long-standing Animal Birth Control (ABC) policy, which allowed sterilized dogs to be returned to their original areas, calling it "absurd" and ineffective.

Public Reaction - Divided and Emotional

The decision has sparked a fierce public divide.

Animal lovers and community feeders - residents who care for street dogs - argue that the order disregards the bonds many locals share with these animals.

Nishima Bhagat, who joined a candlelight march in central Delhi hours after the ruling, told reporters:

On social media, some influencers shared personal stories of neighborhood dogs they've fed and vaccinated for years, describing the ruling as "tearing apart communities." A well known judge and actor Sonali Bandre posted on X : 

Others, however, applauded the move, saying the growing dog population poses an unacceptable risk to public safety.

Animal Welfare Groups Push Back

The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations (FIAPO) and Peta India both condemned the ruling. FIAPO's chief executive, Bharati Ramachandran, urged a focus on mass sterilization and vaccination, along with public awareness campaigns to reduce human-dog conflict.

Peta India's Mini Aravindan stressed the logistical challenge:

While city authorities have yet to detail their plan for meeting the court's eight-week deadline, officials say the task will require unprecedented coordination between municipal bodies, veterinary services, and law enforcement. Some local councils have already begun identifying potential shelter sites, but questions remain about funding, staffing, and long-term care.

Why the Court Acted Now

Animal attacks, especially involving children, have been making frequent headlines. In one widely reported case earlier this year, a seven-year-old boy in a Delhi suburb suffered severe injuries from a stray dog pack. Such incidents have intensified pressure on the government to act.

Justice Pardiwala made it clear that public safety was the priority, remarking:

India's street dogs have long been part of its urban fabric. In many neighborhoods, they act as informal guards, bark at intruders, and are fed by residents. However, rapid urban growth, poor waste management, and patchy animal control policies have fueled uncontrolled population growth. Previous efforts to manage the issue - including sterilization programs - have often been underfunded and inconsistently implemented.

What's Next?

If the court's order is enforced as written, Delhi's streets could look drastically different by the end of the year. However, with opposition from animal welfare groups and logistical hurdles looming, the likelihood of delays or legal appeals is high.

Meanwhile, both sides agree on one thing that the issue requires a long-term, humane, and effective solution that balances safety with compassion.