The Supreme Court on Friday changed its earlier August 8 order on stray dogs. The court said that stray dogs should be vaccinated, dewormed, and then released back into the same area. Animal lovers welcomed the decision. However, the court made it clear that dogs with rabies or aggressive behaviour must be vaccinated and kept in separate shelters, not released.

The three-judge bench, Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria, said the case will now apply across India, not just Delhi-NCR. The judges also said a national policy on stray dogs will be framed after a detailed hearing. This came after the earlier order by a different bench, led by Justice Pardiwala, had directed that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR should be caught and kept in shelters within eight weeks. That order faced widespread criticism, leading the Chief Justice to assign the case to a new bench.

No public feeding of stray dogs

The court has also banned feeding stray dogs in public places. It said special feeding zones will be created, and action will be taken against anyone feeding dogs on the streets. Animal lovers will be allowed to adopt stray dogs, but they must take full responsibility for the animals and ensure that they are not left on the streets. The court also directed individual petitioners in the case to deposit ₹25,000 each, while NGOs that have approached the court must deposit ₹2 lakh each.