Last year, the issue of stray dogs drew attention after a Bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan directed MCD to round up and shelter stray dogs, triggering protests from animal rights groups. The order was later modified by the present three-judge Bench, which mandated vaccination and release of sterilised dogs instead of permanent sheltering.

 

In November 2025, the Court directed State governments and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to ensure the removal of stray animals from highways across the country. It also ordered that both government and private educational and healthcare institutions be fenced within eight weeks to address the stray dog menace and prevent dog bite incidents.

The Court further clarified that stray dogs picked up from such institutional areas should not be released back at the same locations, observing that doing so would defeat the purpose of the directions issued to regulate the problem in these sensitive zones.

During the hearing yesterday, the Court asked the counsel to come prepared about a newspaper article that appeared in Times of India on December 29 titled 'On the roof of the world, feral dogs hunt down Ladakh’s rare species'.

When the case was taken up for hearing today, Senior Advocate Krishnan Venugopal said,

"In relation to the question of Ladakh, my client was also part of the issue. I have handed over a note on this aspect."

Senior Advocate Mahalakshmi Pavani, appearing for pro-dog groups, submitted that women who feed stray dogs are being harassed by members of the public.

"I want to highlight the plight of women feeders and caregivers. Under the garb of earlier orders, there are anti-feeder vigilantes. They are beating women, harassing women, the authorities are keeping silent on it," she said.

“Then file an FIR if women are being molested,” the Court remarked.

When Pavani responded that FIRs were not being registered, the Bench said, “Approach the High Court. Don’t create noise about this here.”

Pavani further submitted that derogatory remarks were being made against women, alleging that the abuse extended to claims that women were “sleeping with dogs for their satisfaction.”

“If someone is saying this, that is wrong. You file a petition,” the Bench responded.

On the issue of feral dogs in Ladakh, Pavani added that even the article in question acknowledged the problem to be man-made, attributing it to factors such as food wastage.

The next hearing is scheduled for January 13.