‘Right of every citizen to move freely’: Supreme Court
Dismisses Plea Against Stray Dogs SOP
PT News
New Delhi, May 19
Underscoring the right to live with dignity under Article 21 includes the right to move freely in public spaces without the fear of dog bites, the Supreme Court, on Tuesday, dismissed the pleas challenging the standard operating procedure (SOP) to manage the stray dog menace, including that canines picked up from a public area should not be returned to the same place after sterilisation/ immuni- sation.
A bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath and compris- ing Justices Sandeep Mehta and N V Anjaria said, “This court finds no reason what- soever to interfere with the SOP dated November 27, 2025, issued by the AWBI in compliance with the direc- tions of this court. The challenge made to the SOPs, both on the grounds of the alleged excess of jurisdiction as well as on the basis of the inconsis- tency with the statutory scheme, does not merit acceptance in light of the conclusions recorded here- in above. Accordingly, all interlocutory applications challenging the validity of the said SOPs stand dis- missed.”
Alokparna Sengupta, man- aging director of Humane World for Animals India, welcomed the top court’s directions and urged all state governments and municipal bodies to address the root cause of the conflict through sys- tematic and scientific ster- ilisation and vaccination drives.
“We are encouraged by the Court’s directions towards urgent and effective imple- mentation of the statutory mandate of ABC. We urge all State governments and municipal bodies to under- take the responsibility to address the root cause of the conflict- systematic and scientific sterilization and vaccination pro- grams”, Sengupta said.
She further expressed hope that states and Union Territories would not resort to measures beyond the scope of established law and scientific process, warning that such steps could lead to overpopula- tion and further conflict.
The applications had chal- lenged the November 27, 2025, SOP issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) for stray dog management.
The top court had then directed all states and Union Territories to remove stray dogs from the premises of education- al institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and depots, and railway stations, “to a des- ignated shelter, after due sterilisation and vaccina- tion in accordance with the Animal Birth Control Rules”.