Supreme Court issues directions to curb stray dog menace and clear highways of cattle

New Delhi, Nov 07, 2025 : The Supreme Court has issued today a slew of directions to insulate key public spaces from the growing stray dog menace and to clear highways of stray cattle and other animals.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria, hearing the suo motu matter on stray dog management across the country, has ordered that every educational institution, hospital, public sports complex, bus stand and railway station must be properly fenced to prevent the entry of stray dogs.

The Justice Nath-led Bench has asked the local municipal bodies to conduct regular pick-up drives from such premises and shift the animals to designated shelters after mandatory vaccination and sterilisation under the Animal Birth Control ABC Rules, 2023. The Apex court has said that Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories shall ensure strict compliance with this. Otherwise, these officers will be held personally responsible.

The Court will be seeking compliance status reports within eight weeks detailing the mechanisms put in place to implement the directives. Earlier, the Supreme Court had expressed displeasure with states and UTs over lapses in enforcing the ABC Rules.