Supreme Court Issues Nationwide Directions to Curb Stray Dog Attacks in Institutional Areas and Highways
Case Name: In Re: “City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price” (Suo Motu Writ Petition) & Connected Matters
Citation: 2025 INSC 1357
Date of Judgment/Order: 07 November 2025
Bench: Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, N. V. Anjaria, JJ.
Held: The Supreme Court held that escalating dog-bite incidents across educational institutions, hospitals, highways, bus stands, sports complexes, and railway stations constitute a grave public safety concern under Article 21. The Court issued binding nationwide directions requiring States, Union Territories, municipal bodies, NHAI, and Central Ministries to implement strict preventive and administrative measures. These include identifying institutional areas vulnerable to stray dog intrusions, securing their perimeters, appointing nodal officers, conducting periodic inspections, establishing helplines, ensuring sterilisation and vaccination in accordance with the ABC Rules, 2023, and maintaining mandatory anti-rabies vaccines in hospitals. The Court reaffirmed and extended the Rajasthan High Court’s directions on removal of stray cattle from highways and directed the Animal Welfare Board of India to frame uniform SOPs for dog-bite prevention in institutional premises.
Summary: This suo motu proceeding stemmed from multiple reports of children and citizens being grievously injured in stray dog attacks across cities. The Court had earlier issued interim directions regulating capture, sterilisation, vaccination and controlled release of stray dogs, and sought compliance affidavits from all States and Union Territories. Upon reviewing the amicus curiae’s report highlighting serious lapses, the Court proceeded to address three major issues: compliance status of States and UTs, the need to extend highway-related directions issued by the Rajasthan High Court, and targeted protection of institutional areas where dog-bite attacks were increasingly reported. The judgment refers extensively to incidents in schools, hospitals, stadia, and transport hubs to underline the public health emergency created by inadequate implementation of statutory ABC Rules and municipal obligations. It concluded that coordinated administrative action is indispensable for ensuring the constitutional right to life and safety.
Decision: The Court directed all States, Union Territories, and Central Ministries to implement comprehensive preventive measures within fixed timelines, including identification and fortification of institutional premises, appointment of nodal officers, sterilisation and relocation of stray dogs, establishment of patrol units and helplines on highways, and maintenance of anti-rabies stock in hospitals. NHAI and State authorities were mandated to remove cattle and other stray animals from highways through coordinated drives. The Animal Welfare Board of India was ordered to frame nationwide SOPs within four weeks. Compliance affidavits were directed to be filed within eight weeks, with the matter listed for further monitoring on 13 January 2026. Any non-compliance, the Court warned, may result in suo motu contempt action.