The Supreme Court on Monday announced that it will deliver its order in the ongoing stray dogs case on November 7.
A special three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N. V. Anjaria noted that the chief secretaries of most states and Union Territories were present before the court. The bench accepted the exemption request from Kerala’s chief secretary and recorded the presence of a principal secretary from the state.
The court directed that the Animal Welfare Board of India be included as a party in the matter. At the beginning of the hearing, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the bench that most states and UTs had filed their compliance affidavits as required.
“List for orders on November 7,” the bench stated, while clarifying that the personal presence of the chief secretaries would no longer be mandatory. However, it warned that their presence could again be required if any state or UT failed to comply with the court’s directions.
During the previous hearing on October 27, the Supreme Court had ordered all chief secretaries, except those from West Bengal and Telangana, to appear before it on November 3. The directive came after several states failed to submit compliance affidavits as per the court’s earlier order dated August 22.
On August 22, the court had sought detailed updates from all states and UTs on the steps taken to implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules. Expressing displeasure on October 27, the bench observed that except for West Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), no other state or UT had filed their compliance reports.
The bench had strongly criticized the lack of response from the states and UTs, stating that recurring stray dog incidents were damaging India’s image internationally. It reiterated that accountability would be enforced if compliance was not ensured.
Earlier, the Supreme Court had widened the scope of the case—originally limited to Delhi-NCR—to cover all states and Union Territories. It had instructed municipal authorities to submit affidavits detailing available resources such as dog pounds, veterinarians, trained dog catchers, and modified vehicles and cages for implementing the ABC Rules.
The suo motu case was initiated by the apex court on July 28 after a media report highlighted the growing number of stray dog attacks and rabies cases, particularly among children, in the national capital.
