“Children Are Being Bitten, People Are Dying”: SC flags grave lapses in handling street dog threat

Resuming hearings on the street dog menace, the Supreme Court stressed public safety, clarified its past orders, and flagged failures in enforcing Animal Birth Control rules amid rising dog-bite cases.

The Supreme Court resumed hearing a batch of petitions highlighting the growing threat posed by street dogs and other animals, while sharply questioning authorities over their failure to control the situation effectively.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria examined petitions that pointed to increasing dangers from stray animals and administrative lapses in managing them. During the hearing, the court observed that dogs and cats are “natural enemies” and noted that encouraging the presence of cats could help in controlling the street dog population.

At the same time, the bench clarified the scope of its earlier directions. It categorically stated that it has never ordered the removal of every street dog from public roads or their confinement in dog shelter homes. Instead, the court emphasised strict implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules as the core solution.

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The bench reiterated that its directions were limited to removing dogs from sensitive and high-footfall locations such as schools, colleges, bus stands, railway stations and similar institutional areas. Expressing concern over safety in critical zones, the court questioned how many dogs should be allowed to roam inside hospital wards and around patients, underlining that public health and safety remain central to its considerations.

This renewed scrutiny follows strong observations made by the apex court a day earlier, when it expressed serious concern over the rising number of dog-bite incidents across the country and accused authorities of failing to enforce the ABC Rules effectively.

“We know all this is happening. Children are being bitten, adults are being bitten, people are dying,” the Supreme Court remarked, reflecting the gravity of the issue.

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The court also revealed that in the last 20 days, two judges were involved in road accidents caused by street animals on highways. It noted that the condition of one of the judges remains critical, further highlighting the risks posed by unmanaged stray animal populations.