Indias top court revises stray dog policy after public outcry

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Rescued dogs are kept inside cages at Friendicoes SECA, a local animal welfare NGO in New Delhi, India, August 12, 2025. REUTERS/Bhawika Chhabra/File Photo

NEW DELHI - Indias Supreme Court modified its order on stray dogs on Friday, directing that those picked up from streets in and around Delhi be released after sterilisation and immunisation, after a storm of protests from animal lovers.

Earlier this month, the court ruled that all stray dogs in Delhi and its suburbs be moved to shelters following a surge in dog bites and cases of rabies. Critics of the ruling had said it could not be implemented because there were not enough shelters.

Many animal lovers took to the streets to protest against the order. Animal rights activists signed online petitions asking the court to revoke its decision.

The court ruling also drew criticism from politicians and celebrities. Indias opposition leader Rahul Gandhi called it a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy.

On Friday, the court said that dogs picked up in the past few weeks in Delhi and its suburbs would be released after sterilisation and immunisation, barring those showing aggressive behaviour or signs of rabies infection.

Former federal minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi told ANI news agency that she was happy with the scientific decision of relocating dogs back to their area.

The court has not clarified what an aggressive dog is and this remains a grey area, she added.

In April, the government said nearly 430,000 cases of dog bites were reported