Supreme Court asked- “Sibal ji, how do we know what mood the dog is in in the morning?”, hearing on stray animals

New Delhi: On Wednesday, a hearing was held in the Supreme Court before the bench of Justice Vikram Nath on the issue of stray dogs and cattle roaming on the roads. The bench said that today we will listen to both your supporters and opponents. Today we have full time for you. During the hearing, the Supreme Court told that in the last few days, two judges have met with serious road accidents in Rajasthan due to stray animals. The court said in a very worrying tone that in the last 20 days there have been two accidents involving judges due to animals. One of these judges is suffering from a serious spinal injury.

The court raised questions on the data presented by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI). NHAI has identified sensitive stretches of about 1400 km, where cattle come onto the roads. On NHAI’s contention that the further responsibility lies with the state governments, the court took a strong stand and asked, “Why can’t NHAI itself cordon off or fence these sensitive roads? Why are concrete arrangements not being made to prevent cattle from coming on the road?”

Poor attitude of states, report of Amicus Curiae

Amicus Curiae Gaurav Aggarwal, who is assisting the court in the case, informed the court that the Animal Welfare Board (AWBI) has issued a SOP for sterilization of dogs and removal of stray animals in November 2025. States like Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Punjab have not yet filed their affidavits. Besides, non-cooperation by states like Rajasthan and Odisha has also come to light.

The amicus curiae said there is an acute shortage of infrastructure to house stray animals in shelter homes and manpower for sterilization (ABC) centres. The Animal Welfare Board has suggested that male dogs should be sterilized first to control the population in future. The court has asked for a list of those states which have not yet filed their reply.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said that if the majority of a society wants to exclude dogs then it should be respected. If some people are allowed to do so, then someone can also say that he wants to keep buffalo in the society.

“This is why I have given up eating chickens”

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, on behalf of animal lovers, defended the dog lovers in the court. The court asked, you are talking about dogs, but what about chickens and goats? Sibal replied- For this reason I have stopped eating chickens. Sibal said that he has never been bitten by any dog ​​till date.

Amicus Curiae expressed strong displeasure over the preparations of the states. Citing the statistics of Maharashtra government, the amicus said that the number of stray dogs in the state is more than 1 lakh. In view of such a large number, the government will have to seriously consider building shelters in every municipal area. Amicus told the court that this is the real picture of this problem and that is why the affidavits of many states are very disappointing.

Argument of petitioner Vandana Jain

He had filed a PIL in Indore High Court in 2024. An order was received from the High Court to strictly implement the ABC Rules (sterilization rules of dogs), but the Madhya Pradesh government did not do any work at the ground level.

“I love dogs, but I love humans too,” Vandana Jain said. He said that there is no data on the exact number of dogs. There is a huge lack of awareness among the common people about the behavior of dogs. People do not even know what is the helpline number for complaints of stray dogs. He said that stray dogs do not bite those who treat them with kindness. The dog population is not being controlled because instead of sterilization, the focus is on killing them. Animal lovers are also citizens of India and are serving the country.

Vandana Jain put forward some suggestions before the court

More public awareness campaigns should be run. Luxury tax should be imposed on foreign and expensive dogs, so that people adopt local dogs. Farmers should be encouraged to keep dogs to protect their fields so that their crops are protected from stray animals. He said that more than 50,000 dog bite cases have been reported in Indore alone.

…but all dogs are not the same: Kapil Sabbal

The Supreme Court said that it is not just about dog bites. Dogs run behind vehicles, especially two-wheelers and bicycles. Accidents may happen. Have you ever driven a two-wheeler, Mr. Sibal? On this Kapil Sibal said- Yes, this happens in some areas, but all dogs are not the same. Supreme Court said, how do you know which dog is in which mood in the morning? So is putting all dogs in shelters the solution, Sibley said? The Supreme Court said that we are not saying this, but why should dogs be on the streets everywhere?

Hearing will continue tomorrow also

A lawyer told the court that thousands of dog bite incidents have taken place in cities. Abhishek Kusum Gupta, who lives in a group housing society, said that our society is our property, we should have the right to decide. UP government officials do not listen. The situation is worst in Noida and Greater Noida. My daughter was bitten by 7-8 dogs, it became big news. He demanded that dogs be removed from the society, so that children can play outside safely.

Justice J. Nath said that the court is aware of these incidents and now wants a concrete solution, so that such incidents do not happen again.

Killing dogs is not a solution: Kapil Sibal

Kapil Sibal said, “This is not a case of fighting. If an animal attacks, it does not mean that all the animals should be locked up. When the judge gave the example of other animals, Sibal said that sympathy with the animals is necessary. Sibal said that killing the dogs is not the solution. Catch them, sterilize them, vaccinate them, release them back. Said to adopt the model. This reduces the number of dogs. This method has been successful in many places. Sick dogs are locked up. Doing so may further increase the risk.

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