Stray Dog Debate Intensifies After Supreme Court's January Order
The ongoing debate about stray dogs in India has gained fresh momentum following a Supreme Court order in January. The court addressed growing concerns about public safety, particularly in schools, hospitals, and other communal spaces. This complex issue pits the need for human protection against calls for humane, scientific approaches to animal management.
Supreme Court Takes a Firm Stand on Public Safety
On January 13, a three-judge bench led by Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria issued directives regarding stray dogs in Delhi-NCR. The hearing followed a spike in dog bite incidents and mounting public anxiety. The bench made it clear that human safety must come first in sensitive areas.
Justice Vikram Nath expressed strong views during the proceedings. "For every dog bite, death or injury caused to children or elderly, we are likely going to fix heavy compensation by state, for not doing anything," he stated. The judge questioned why dogs should be "littering around, biting, scaring people" and suggested those feeding strays should "take them to your house."
Justice Mehta echoed these concerns, asking pointed questions about accountability. "Who should be held accountable when dogs attack a 9-year-old? The organization that is feeding them?" he questioned. The bench also criticized local authorities for inconsistent implementation of the Animal Birth Control Rules from 2001, noting failures in sterilization and vaccination programs.
Experts Warn Against Removal-Based Approaches
Animal welfare experts and activists have raised serious concerns about the court's emphasis on removing dogs from public spaces. They argue this approach addresses symptoms rather than root causes and may create new dangers.
Keren Nazareth, senior director at Humane World for Animals India, calls relocation "unscientific, inhumane, and unsustainable." She explains that removing dogs from their familiar territories creates a vacuum that attracts unvaccinated, unsterilized newcomers, potentially increasing bite risks.
Vandana Anchalia, founder of the Kannan Animal Welfare Foundation, goes further. "I wouldn't even call this a short-term solution. It's optics. An illusion of action," she states. She advocates for high-coverage Animal Birth Control with vaccination as the only strategy that works ethically and scientifically.
Saniya Kinjal Varma of Theo's Haven Foundation points to India's estimated 62 million community dogs. "Removal-based approaches are ineffective," she asserts, warning that mass relocation leads to overcrowded shelters and disease spread while ignoring decades of scientific evidence.
The Human Perspective: Fear and Daily Challenges
For many residents, stray dogs represent a genuine source of anxiety that affects daily life. Sangeeta, a house cook from Noida, describes how a dog bite three years ago transformed her relationship with animals.
"I used to feed dogs with milk and treat them like part of the neighbourhood," she recalls. "But after I was bitten, I can't trust them anymore. Whenever I go to places with dogs, I feel scared and followed." She has even refused jobs in certain areas to avoid dogs.
A delivery worker in Noida explains practical challenges. "I try to avoid streets where I know dogs gather. Sometimes I have to take longer routes to avoid dogs chasing me or barking aggressively," he says. He notes that many advocates for stray dogs have never experienced the fear of being chased during odd-hour deliveries.
Looking Beyond Immediate Reactions
Environmentalist and former minister Maneka Gandhi urges looking deeper than immediate reactions. "Fear is a primitive cognitive response. Law exists precisely to prevent fear from governing outcomes. Fear should not become policy," she argues.
Gandhi criticizes what she sees as the court's focus on outcomes without examining causes. "Road accidents, governance lapses, waste mismanagement, and enforcement failures have been rhetorically pinned on animals - allowing institutional failure to escape accountability," she states.
Rupali Jain, a lawyer with The Guild Advocates, emphasizes that dog behavior depends largely on environment. "Well-fed and cared-for animals are far less likely to be aggressive," she notes. Jain warns that policies are hard to enforce consistently, and without addressing root causes, "we are back to square one" when serious cases occur.
The Numbers Behind the Debate
Government data reveals the scale of the challenge:
- India ranks seventh globally in total number of dogs
- 2024 saw over 3.7 million dog bite cases and 54 suspected human rabies deaths
- Reported cases fell sharply to around 4.29 lakh in 2025
- Maharashtra (56,538), Gujarat (53,942), and Tamil Nadu (48,931) reported highest cases in 2025
Parliamentary responses show limited central funding for sterilization programs. The Animal Welfare Board of India has released relatively small sums annually, while government spending has increasingly focused on managing health impacts. Approved anti-rabies vaccine doses rose from around 25 lakh in 2020-21 to over 80 lakh in 2024-25.
Finding Sustainable Solutions
Experts emphasize that lasting safety requires more than removing dogs. Saniya Kinjal Varma highlights education's role. "When people understand animal behavior, learn how to approach dogs, avoid provoking fear responses, and coexist responsibly, incidents decrease naturally," she explains.
Maneka Gandhi frames the issue as a scientific challenge rather than moral debate. "Community dog management is not a moral debate. It is a scientific and public-health problem," she states, involving veterinary epidemiology, animal behavior science, and urban ecology.
An anonymous security guard points to implementation gaps. "On paper it sounds reasonable. The problem is implementation. On the ground, authorities rarely act quickly, and residents are often told to 'adjust'," he observes.
The debate ultimately exposes governance gaps rather than simple human-animal conflict. As one resident summarizes, "I know many people love animals, but for people like me, stray dogs are a daily source of fear." Animal welfare practitioners argue that successful approaches must include all stakeholders—not just animal lovers but also fearful residents—to build trust and reduce tensions through community-led solutions.
