New Delhi, Jan 29: The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its decision regarding several petitions that requested changes to previous judicial orders concerning the management of stray dogs. A three-judge bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria concluded the proceedings after reviewing the progress reports from various states.
Amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwal provided a summary of the initiatives currently being undertaken by Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Rajasthan. During the session, the bench also evaluated how the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is complying with the November 7, 2025, directive to fence roads and clear stray animals from highways to ensure commuter safety.
The court directed the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to clear a backlog of applications from non-governmental organizations seeking to run animal birth control centers.
“Either you accept it or reject the applications but do it expeditiously,” the bench told the AWBI counsel. The board noted that there has been a significant increase in requests from various organizations following the court’s intervention late last year.
This development follows the court’s sharp criticism on Wednesday regarding the slow pace of state-led sterilization programs. The bench remarked that many state governments were failing to expand their capacity to handle the animal population.
“They are all building castles in the air,” the court mentioned during the earlier hearing.
The ongoing legal matter originated from a suo motu case initiated in July last year after reports surfaced of children being targeted by stray animals in the national capital. The court previously ordered that animals removed from institutional areas like hospitals and schools should be vaccinated and relocated to shelters rather than being returned to the streets.
