Supreme Court orders removal of stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets to shelters
A Supreme Court bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan on 11 August 2025 directed authorities in Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad to pick up stray dogs and house them in shelters, in a suo motu case on dog bites.
Summary
A Supreme Court bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, hearing the suo motu case 'In Re: City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price', on 11 August 2025 directed the authorities of the NCT of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad to pick up stray dogs and create dog shelters or pounds, starting with shelters for about 5,000 dogs, and to report within eight weeks. The court directed that the dogs picked up must not be released back onto the streets, and that they be sterilised, dewormed and immunised in line with the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, with shelters monitored by CCTV. Authorities were also told to set up a helpline for dog-bite complaints within one week.
Key facts
- Date
- 11 Aug 2025
- Case
- Suo motu – In Re: City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price
- Bench
- Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan
- Area
- NCT of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, Faridabad
- Shelters
- Start with capacity for about 5,000 dogs; report in 8 weeks
- Release
- Dogs picked up not to be released back
- Care
- Sterilise, deworm, immunise per Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023; CCTV
- Helpline
- Dog-bite helpline within one week
Practice MCQs 4 questions
Which Supreme Court bench passed the order of 11 August 2025 directing that stray dogs in Delhi-NCR be moved to shelters?
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Correct answer: B — Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan
The order in the suo motu case 'In Re: City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price' was passed by a bench of Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan.
In its order of 11 August 2025, the Supreme Court asked authorities to start by creating shelters for about how many stray dogs?
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Correct answer: C — 5,000
The court directed the authorities to begin by creating shelters for about 5,000 dogs and to report within eight weeks.
Consider the following statements about the Supreme Court's stray dogs order of 11 August 2025: 1. The court directed that dogs picked up should not be released back onto the streets. 2. The directions applied only to the New Delhi Municipal Council area. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: A — 1 only
Statement 1 is correct: the court directed that the stray dogs picked up must not be released back. Statement 2 is incorrect: the directions covered the NCT of Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram and Faridabad.
As per the Supreme Court's order of 11 August 2025, dogs in shelters are to be sterilised, dewormed and immunised in line with which rules?
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Correct answer: D — Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023
The court directed that the dogs be sterilised, dewormed and immunised as per the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023.