The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed authorities across the country to take measures to curb dog-bite cases, including euthanising “rabid, incurably ill or demonstrably dangerous or aggressive dogs”, to reduce the threat posed to “human life and safety”.

The court passed a slew of directions after noting the rising cases of dog bites and rabies-related deaths in the country, with states such as Tamil Nadu and Karnataka registering a record two-lakh-plus cases in the first quarter of 2026.

Such incidents, the top court bemoaned, continued to happen despite its three earlier directives in August and November last year to remove stray dogs from public places, including the Delhi International Airport that had recorded around 31 dog-bite cases in the first quarter of this year.

The bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria said the civic authorities might resort to euthanasia in areas where the stray dog population had reached alarming proportions and where frequent dog
bites or aggressive attacks posed a continuing threat to public safety.

The action may be taken after “due assessment by qualified veterinary experts and strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and other applicable statutory protocols”, Justice Mehta, who authored the judgment, observed.

The bench said no FIR, criminal complaint or coercive proceedings should be initiated against such officials “in respect of actions bona fide undertaken for the purpose of implementing the court’s directions, except where a prima facie case of mala fides, gross abuse of authority or actions wholly dehors the directions issued is made out”.

The bench directed all high courts to register a suo motu writ petition as a continuing mandamus for monitoring compliance with the directions issued by the apex court vide orders dated August 22, 2025, and November 7, 2025, in addition to the directions contained in the present order.

The chief secretaries and secretaries of the relevant departments of all states and Union Territories have to file their updated affidavits of compliance before the respective high courts on or before August 7, 2026.

The high courts, through their respective registrars-general, shall compile and forward a consolidated report to the top court every four months, summarising the status of compliance by states and Union Territories, the progress achieved, best practices identified and persistent gaps requiring policy or judicial intervention.

The apex court passed the directions while dismissing a batch of interlocutory/intervention applications filed by animal activists and organisations seeking a recall of its November 7 order on the relocation and sterilisation of stray canines. The bench had also said that dogs picked up from specific areas must
not be released back to the same spot.

The bench also upheld the SoPs issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India pursuant to the court’s November 7 directions, which mandated the identification of institutional areas and securing them to prevent the entry of dogs, the appointment of nodal officers for supervision, and the coordinated removal of canines from
such places.

Animal rights activist and BJP leader Maneka Gandhi said the top court had “simply abdicated responsibility” on the stray-dog issue and asked people “to go to the high court if you want”. “From November to now, it has been six months, and not a single
ABC centre, shelter, or hospital has been made,” Maneka said, stressing that technically, it is not feasible to remove the dogs.