No one knows which dog is in what mood, says Supreme Court on animals roaming on roads

The Supreme Court on Wednesday (January 7, 2026) said that “no one knows which dog is in what mood” and said that people were dying not just due to dog bites but because of road accidents caused by stray animals.

A Bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N. V. Anjaria, which was hearing pleas for modification of its November 7 order on immediate relocation of stray dogs, said it is conducting the hearing as many lawyers and animal activists had said that they were not heard before passing of the order. It also flagged non-compliance of rules and directions by civic bodies. The petitions were filed by animal lovers and those seeking stringent compliance of orders.

“The roads should be clear of dogs and stray animals. It is not only the dog bites but also the roaming of stray animals on roads that are proving dangerous and causing accidents. No one knows which dog is in what mood in the morning. Civic bodies have to implement the rules, modules and directions strictly,” the Bench said.

Justice Mehta pointed out that two judges of the Rajasthan High Court have met with accidents in the past 20 days and one of judge is still suffering from spinal injuries. “It’s a serious issue,” he told lawyers appearing in the matter.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the petitioner seeking modification of the earlier order, said the solution lies not in capturing all dogs but in adopting a scientific formula, accepted worldwide for reducing animal-human conflict. He submitted that the court can adopt CSVR (capture, sterilise, vaccinate and release) for managing and controlling the population of stray dogs which will gradually reduce dog bite cases.

“Prevention is always better than cure,” Justice Nath said and pointed out that there was nothing much to argue in the matter as the court has only directed to remove the stray dogs from institutional areas and has not interfered with any rules and regulations.

The Bench said that it is advocating strict enforcement of rules, regulations, modules and standard operating procedures (SOPs) by States and civic bodies. “Some States have not responded to compliance with our orders and implementation of the arguments. We will be very harsh with those States. All the rules, regulations and SOPs need to be followed,” the top court said.

When some counsels, appearing for different parties, submitted that dog attacks are being reported, the Bench said that understands that children and adults are being bitten and losing their lives.

Senior advocate Gaurav Agarwal, appointed as amicus curiae, said National Highways Authority of India has prepared an SOP to implement the court order. “They have identified 1,400 km of road as a vulnerable stretch. However, after detection, the NHAI says that the state governments have to take care of it,” Mr. Agarwal said.

The Bench suggested fencing roads and expressways to prevent stray animals from trespassing.

Mr. Agarwal submitted that Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Punjab are yet to file compliance affidavits while some States have filed very “disappointing” affidavits. To this Justice Nath said that the court will deal with those States.

In his arguments, Mr. Sibal submitted that the response against the stray dog menace should be reflective of a mature and responsible society.

“First of all, this is not an adversarial issue and we are here as dog lovers. If one tiger is a man-eater, we don’t kill all tigers. We must make sure that sterilisation takes place and the population must come down. There is a process for that,” Mr. Sibal submitted while pointing to the CSVR model and said it has brought down the dog population in Lucknow to almost zero.

Senior advocate K. K. Venugopal, appearing for NALSAR, Hyderabad, also made his arguments and highlighted the data on the inadequate number of shelters needed for housing the stray dogs.

The arguments remained inconclusive and would continue on Thursday.

Taking note of the “alarming rise” in dog bite incidents within institutional areas such as educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations, the apex court had on November 7 last year directed forthwith relocation of stray canines to designated shelters after due sterilisation and vaccination. The Bench said the stray dogs so picked up shall not be released back. It directed the authorities to ensure the removal of all cattle and other stray animals from State highways, national highways and expressways.

Recurrence of dog bite incidents within institutional areas, including sports complexes, reflected not only administrative apathy but also a “systemic failure” to secure these premises from preventable hazards, it said.

It is hearing a suo motu case, initiated on July 28 last year, over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in the national capital.