The Supreme Court on Thursday sharply criticized local authorities for their “inaction” in addressing the stray dog menace in Delhi-NCR, reserving its order on pleas challenging its August 11 directive to relocate all stray dogs to shelters.

A three-judge bench, led by Justice Vikram Nath and including Justices Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria, emphasized that the escalating issue, marked by rising dog bite incidents, stems from the failure of civic bodies to implement Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules effectively. The court’s remarks came during a heated hearing of a suo motu case initiated on July 28, triggered by a Times of India report titled “City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price.”

On August 11, a two-judge bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had ordered Delhi-NCR authorities, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), and civic bodies in Noida, Gurugram, and Ghaziabad, to immediately capture stray dogs, starting with 5,000 in high-risk areas within six to eight weeks, and relocate them to shelters with CCTV monitoring. The court prohibited releasing these dogs back to public spaces, mandated a helpline for dog bite complaints, and required detailed reports on vaccine availability, warning of contempt action against any obstruction.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Delhi government, highlighted the gravity of the situation, citing 37 lakh annual dog bites nationwide and 20,000 rabies deaths yearly per WHO data. “Nobody is an animal hater, but children are dying from rabies. Sterilization doesn’t stop bites,” Mehta argued, urging swift action.

Conversely, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing an NGO, Project Kindness, called for a stay on the August 11 order, arguing that the lack of shelter infrastructure—Delhi-NCR has capacity for only about 1,000 of an estimated 1 million strays—could lead to culling or inhumane conditions. “Municipalities haven’t built shelters or used sterilization funds properly,” Sibal noted, supported by advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Colin Gonsalves, who cited non-compliance with ABC Rules and zero rabies deaths in Delhi per government data.

Also Read: Stray Dog Crisis: Families Back Supreme Court Order

The court’s shift to a three-judge bench followed protests from animal welfare groups and concerns that the August 11 order conflicted with prior rulings favoring sterilization over mass relocation. Posts on X reflect polarized sentiments, with some praising the court’s focus on public safety and others, including former Delhi LG Najeeb Jung, calling the directive hasty and impractical. As the court deliberates, the debate underscores the tension between public safety and animal welfare, with Delhi’s 6–10 lakh stray dogs at the center of a complex crisis.

Also Read: Stray Dog Crisis: Families Back Supreme Court Order