The Supreme Court began hearing a suo motu case on the growing issue of stray dogs across the country, with the bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria listening to arguments from multiple sides.
During the proceedings, a counsel narrated his personal ordeal, saying his residential area is overrun by stray dogs that chase each other through the night, disturbing peace and preventing his children from studying. He added that repeated complaints to local authorities brought no relief.
The counsel argued that the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules allow dogs to be released back into the same area after vaccination or sterilisation, but under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), authorities can remove animals causing public nuisance.
Senior Advocate Prashant Bhushan submitted that sterilisation reduces aggressiveness among dogs, but suffers from poor implementation in many cities. He called for transparency and accountability in the programme and suggested an online platform where citizens can report unsterilised dogs. He cautioned that keeping large numbers of dogs in shelters could worsen their behaviour and urged the court to appoint an expert committee to examine the issue comprehensively.
The bench noted that while many lawyers argued for dog lovers, few presented the perspective of ordinary citizens affected by the stray dog menace.
SC displeased with Menaka Gandhi’s remarks
The court expressed strong displeasure over former Union Minister Menaka Gandhi’s criticism of its orders on stray dogs, observing that her comments amounted to contempt. However, the bench clarified that it would not initiate contempt proceedings in the interest of judicial restraint.
The judges also questioned Gandhi on what steps she had taken as a minister to secure budgetary allocations for tackling the stray dog problem.
The matter will be heard next on January 28.
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