Supreme Court Stay on Delhi’s Stray Dog Removal Order Offers Relief for Animal Welfare Activists and Street Dog Population

In the heart of New Delhi, a daily ritual unfolds amidst the urban chaos, as Himanshi Varma, a dedicated animal lover, feeds the city’s stray canines. For seven years, she has been caring for these homeless dogs, a silent pact born from her adoption of a puppy found under her own staircase.

Using her personal savings, Varma has funded the sterilization of over 500 animals and found homes for hundreds more. “There’s no count and there’s no end,” she says, as a playful pack of Indian strays frolic in nearby grass.

However, a period of uncertainty loomed over her compassionate efforts when the Supreme Court issued an order on August 12, mandating the removal of all stray dogs from the streets of New Delhi within eight weeks. The order was prompted by reports of fatal dog attacks on children and sparked concern among animal welfare organizations due to India’s limited infrastructure to house its vast stray population, estimated at approximately 1 million.

On a recent Friday, however, a wave of relief washed over these organizations as the court issued a stay, modifying its previous directive. In the new ruling, it clarified that stray dogs picked up by authorities would be sterilized, immunized, and then returned to their original locations. Only animals found to be rabid or excessively aggressive would be kept from the streets.

The revised ruling applies nationwide, while also prohibiting public food distribution to dogs and advocating for designated feeding areas. “I think it’s a very thoughtful verdict,” said veterinarian Dr. Sarungbam Yaiphabi Devi.

The initial intervention from India’s highest court was swift and controversial, as it challenged the country’s deeply ingrained cultural respect for animals. It is illegal to euthanize healthy strays in India, and a 2001 law mandates that strays should be picked up, neutered, and vaccinated against rabies before being released.

Despite this principle, the effective implementation of this approach on a national scale has been challenging due to the sheer number of dogs and the limited funding and veterinary infrastructure in the world’s most populous country. As a result, an estimated 62 million stray dogs roam India’s streets, neighborhoods, slums, and villages.

Many of these animals live harmoniously with humans, but bites and fatal attacks have led to public apprehension, along with the risk of infection. Rabies, a vaccine-preventable disease that can spread to humans if they are bitten or scratched by an infected animal, is almost always fatal unless a series of vaccinations can be administered promptly after a bite.

Dogs are the primary source of human rabies deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), contributing up to 99% of all rabies transmissions to humans. India accounts for 36% of the world’s rabies deaths, making it an endemic country for the disease.

Delhi-based medical student Shriya Ramani expresses a need to control the city’s dog population but emphasizes that it should be done humanely. Arjun Sen, whose 12-year-old son was bitten by a stray, advocates for their removal from the streets “as soon as possible.”

Fears about dog attacks escalated after a 2023 fatal mauling of a four-year-old boy in Hyderabad, an attack captured on CCTV that shocked the nation and sent shockwaves through media and political circles.

Some have attempted to challenge existing laws to manage stray populations more effectively. In 2016, a campaign to cull strays in the southern state of Kerala gained traction after a series of bites but was met with fierce opposition from animal rights activists. The controversial plan never materialized, highlighting the ongoing conflict between public safety concerns and animal welfare advocacy.

Veterinarian Dr. Devi operates a small animal sterilization unit in Delhi that can temporarily house up to 100 strays. Underfunded and in need of repair, she worries that other centers like hers would struggle to cope with the hundreds of thousands of dogs the court ordered to be picked up. Even larger shelters are at capacity.

Just outside Delhi, in the satellite city of Gurugram, the Janm Foundation’s animal shelter underscores the crisis on the front lines. Meenakshi Bareja cares for 78 dogs here, and the shelter is chronically understaffed and underfunded. The financial strain creates a near-constant state of panic.

Despite her lifelong fear of dogs, Bareja found purpose at an animal shelter due to the pandemic’s limited employment opportunities. Her passion is so infectious that her husband, Naresh, joined her. When he whistles, the dogs they care for come bounding forward, their tails wagging in a frenzy of affection.

“Gurugram has developed a lot,” says Naresh of the city with over 800,000 inhabitants. “But the dogs can’t leave their old living spots.”

Over 100 protesters braved heavy rain in Mumbai to oppose the Supreme Court’s original order last week. Varma, the community feeder, says she felt “on top of the world” after the revised ruling was announced, despite her concerns about what will qualify as an aggressive dog.

“All that matters is that our kids’ stomachs are filled up,” she says. “They should be treated, vaccinated, and sterilized.”