Supreme Court okays euthanasia for rabid, aggressive stray dogs

The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday ruled that rabid, incurably ill, and demonstrably aggressive stray dogs can be legally euthanized. A three-judge bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice NV Anjaria emphasized that the constitutional right to live with dignity fundamentally encompasses the right of citizens to move freely without the persistent fear of canine attacks. Refusing to back down under institutional pressure, the top court aggressively rejected all modification applications filed by animal lover groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seeking to dilute its previous anti-stray directives.

The definitive ruling effectively reinforces the interim framework established by the apex court in November 2025, which mandated the complete evacuation of stray canines from high-footfall public environments, including school complexes, hospitals, bus terminals, and railway stations. The bench noted with grave concern that municipal administrations across various states had failed to implement basic Animal Birth Control (ABC) protocols systematically, resulting in a volatile, crisis-driven environment. Citing alarming statistics to justify its hardline stance, the court highlighted that Tamil Nadu recorded nearly two lakh dog bite incidents in just the first four months of the year, while Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan witnessed 1,084 vicious attacks within a single month, resulting in severe facial disfigurement of young children.

To guarantee seamless execution, the Supreme Court laid down a strict nine-point directive checklist, ordering state governments to urgently fortify the implementation mechanisms of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). The judiciary made it mandatory for every single administrative district in India to establish at least one fully operational ABC center, with provisions to scale up infrastructure in densely populated urban hubs. Furthermore, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been explicitly instructed to deploy depreciated transport vehicles to systematically clear stray animals and cattle off national transit corridors to mitigate fatal highway accidents.