The Supreme Court on Tuesday strongly criticised the Union government and state governments over the growing problem of stray dog attacks in India and warned that heavy compensation would be imposed for every death caused by dog bites.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria heard the matter and said governments have “failed miserably” to properly implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules. The bench said the issue has been pending for decades and has worsened due to inaction by authorities.

During the hearing, the court said both the Centre and the states would be held responsible for the situation. “For every man, woman and child who has lost their lives to a dog bite, we will impose heavy compensation on the government responsible,” the bench observed. The judges added that the problem has multiplied many times because of a complete failure to enforce existing rules.

The Supreme Court noted that Parliament has been discussing the issue since the 1950s, yet no effective solution has been implemented on the ground. It said governments cannot continue to avoid responsibility while the number of attacks keeps rising.

In an earlier hearing on January 8, the bench had pointed out poor implementation of the ABC Rules and also criticised some arguments made by dog lovers, calling them “far from reality”. The court referred to several videos showing stray dogs attacking children and elderly people.

Last week, the apex court also declined to examine allegations of harassment of women dog feeders by anti-feeder groups, stating that such matters fall under law and order. The court said affected individuals can file police complaints or FIRs.

During the latest hearing, the court again refused to look into claims of derogatory remarks made against women in the context of the stray dog issue. Senior advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, appearing for dog feeders, raised concerns about women caregivers being harassed, assaulted and threatened by vigilante groups. However, the court maintained that such issues must be handled by local authorities.

The Supreme Court is currently hearing multiple petitions, including those filed by dog lovers seeking changes to earlier orders and others demanding strict enforcement of existing guidelines to address the stray dog menace.