Stray Dog Crisis: Families Back Supreme Court Order

The Supreme Court’s August 11, 2025, order to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR and relocate them to shelters has ignited a fierce debate, with grieving families like that of six-year-old Chhavi Sharma hailing it as a step toward justice, while Bollywood celebrities like John Abraham, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vir Das condemn it as inhumane. The ruling, prompted by a surge in dog bite incidents and rabies deaths, aims to address what the court called an “extremely grim” situation, but it has exposed deep divides between public safety advocates and animal rights supporters.

Chhavi Sharma, affectionately called Bittu, was bitten by a stray dog on June 30, 2025, in northwest Delhi’s Pooth Kalan. The unprovoked attack left her bleeding heavily, and despite receiving anti-rabies treatment at Dr B R Ambedkar Hospital, her condition worsened. By July 21, she was vomiting, losing limb strength, and unable to speak. She died on July 25, days before her final vaccine dose, becoming one of 54 rabies fatalities reported nationwide in 2024.

Her aunt, Krishna Devi, told PTI, “We don’t want even our enemies to go through what we underwent. I hope there are no more Chhavis.” The family welcomed the court’s directive, seeing it as a chance to prevent further tragedies. “We felt a sigh of relief,” Devi said, urging authorities to curb irresponsible feeding and build dedicated shelters, likening them to gaushalas for cows.

Another victim, Dheeraj Ahuja from Ashok Vihar, shared a similar story. His seven-year-old son, once a stray dog feeder, was mauled and required 10 injections. “This order is very much needed,” Ahuja told PTI, challenging critics to adopt strays themselves. “Our suffering is personal.”

The court’s order mandates civic bodies in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad to create 5,000-capacity shelters with sterilization and vaccination facilities within eight weeks, alongside CCTV monitoring and a helpline for dog bite reports. It also threatens legal action against anyone obstructing the process, reflecting the urgency after 26,334 dog bite cases in Delhi this year and 3.7 million nationwide in 2024.

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Families like Chhavi’s and Ahuja’s demand safety, backed by data showing India’s 36% share of global rabies deaths. Posts on X echo their frustration, with users like @OpIndia_com highlighting a child’s death in Gujarat, demanding systemic action.

Conversely, animal rights activists, including Maneka Gandhi, argue that mass relocation is unfeasible, requiring 2,000 shelters, and advocate for TNVR (Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return) programs. Protests erupted at India Gate on August 11, with police detaining caregivers who called the order a “knee-jerk reaction.” As Delhi navigates this crisis, the Supreme Court’s push for public safety clashes with calls for compassion, leaving the fate of community dogs—and the city’s residents—hanging in the balance.

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