SC's 8-Week Ultimatum: Stray Dogs & Cattle To Be Cleared From Public Spaces

This special report details the Supreme Court's sweeping new directives on India's stray dog and cattle crisis, stemming from a suo motu case and a report by Amicus Curiae Gaurav Agrawal. The court has ordered that stray dogs ‘will now have to be removed from schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations and sport facilities and will not be sent back after sterilization’. This marks a significant shift from the previous catch-and-release policy under the Animal Birth Control Rules. The bench, comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria, has given states and union territories eight weeks to report on compliance, mandating the fencing of sensitive areas and the removal of stray cattle from all highways and expressways. The order follows sharp criticism of state governments for failing to enforce existing rules, with the court warning that Chief Secretaries will be held personally responsible for non-compliance.