The Supreme Court on Friday ordered that stray dogs be “immediately” transferred from the premises of educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands, warehouses and railway stations “to a designated shelter for them, after proper sterilization and vaccination in accordance with animal birth control rules”.
A three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N V Angaria also said, “Stray dogs thus picked up will not be returned to the same location from where they were picked up.”
“We have deliberately directed that such stray dogs should not be released to the same location from where they were picked up, as allowing this would frustrate the effect of the directions issued to free such institutional areas from the presence of stray dogs,” the bench said.
The Supreme Court placed the responsibility of removing strays on the competent municipal authority or authority and posted the order to receive the compliance report after eight weeks, on January 13, 2026.
“The state governments and Union Territories (UTs) shall, through their respective local or municipal authorities, within two weeks, identify all government and private educational institutions and hospitals, including district hospitals, primary health centres, medical colleges, public sports complexes or stadiums, bus stands, depots and railway station located within their territorial limits,” the court ordered.
“The administrative heads of the efforts and institutions shall, through their local or municipal authorities under the general supervision of the District Magistrate concerned, ensure that the premises are secured with adequate fencing, boundary walls, gates and such other structural or administrative measures as may be necessary to prevent the entry of stray dogs.”
The court asked the management of every educational institution, hospital, sports complex, bus stand and railway stations “specified under the directive” to “appoint a nodal officer responsible for the maintenance and cleanliness of the premises and to ensure that stray dogs do not enter or inhabit the campus”.
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The details of the said officer “shall be permanently displayed at the entrance and the appropriate municipal body or authority shall be notified,” it said, adding, “The local municipal authorities and panchayats must conduct regular inspections at least once in three months of all such premises to ensure that there are no habitats of stray dogs within or in the immediate vicinity of such establishments.”
The authority warned that “any lapse in this regard will be looked at seriously.”
The Supreme Court accepted the suggestions made by counsel amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwal and asked the states and union territories to submit comprehensive additional affidavits before the date of the next hearing, specifically mentioning the remedial measures taken to ensure compliance with the court’s directions and rectify the loopholes highlighted by the report. She added, “Any inaction in this regard must be taken seriously.”
The court ordered that “the concerned authorities, namely the Municipal Authorities, Road and Transport Department, Public Works Department of all States, UT and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), shall undertake and undertake a joint coordinated drive to identify stretches of highways and expressways where cattle or stray animals are frequently found and shall take immediate steps to remove them and shift them to designated shelters.”
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“Cattle and other stray animals captured in this manner shall be kept in appropriate shelters or gaushalas or cattle pounds as the case may be, and provided with all necessary food, water and veterinary care in accordance with the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023,” the court said.
She said every authority should form dedicated highway patrol teams and designate existing road safety units for continuous monitoring and immediate response to reports of stray cattle or other animals obstructing the roads. “Such a patrol will operate 24/7 and coordinate with local police stations, veterinary officers, municipal authorities or panchayati raj institutions,” he added.
The court ordered that “all national highways, state highways and national highways shall prominently display helpline numbers at regular intervals, enabling commuters to immediately report the presence of stray animals or a resulting accident” and “such helplines shall be linked to the control rooms of local police, NHAI and district administration for real-time correction and monitoring.”
The Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories, along with the NHAI Chairman, shall ensure strict implementation of these directions through appropriate administrative orders and monitoring at the field level, the order said. “They must hold the officers involved personally accountable for… repeated incidents in their jurisdictions,” he added.
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The court said the directions should be implemented uniformly across India and the Chief Secretaries of all States, UTs, heads of NHAI, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Union of India must submit status compliance certificates within a period of eight weeks “from reference to the mechanism laid down for removal and shelter of stray animals from highways, the Constitution and functioning of patrolling teams, operational status of helpline facilities and installation of signal boards displaying helpline numbers”.
(Tags for translation)Stray Dog Removal
