The 2025 Delhi Stray Dog Directive: A Socio-Legal Analysis
- IJLLR Journal
- 8 hours ago
- 2 min read
Alayna Malhotra, Law Student at Durham University
ABSTRACT
This paper examines the legal, ethical, and public health implications of the 2025 Supreme Court directive mandating the relocation of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR. The research studies the existing legal framework, including the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, and evaluates the Court’s rationale in balancing public safety with animal welfare. Drawing on governmental data, expert opinions, and recent news reports, the researches sheds light on the challenges of implementing such a large-scale relocation, including logistical constraints, ethical concerns, and public sentiment. The paper concludes with recommendations to improve policy implementation while ensuring both public safety and animal welfare. Delhi hosts two kinds of people. On one side are those who walk cautiously, wary of the stray dogs that roam on the roads. There are numerous families who have felt the sudden terror of a dog bite, neighbours who have lost sleep worrying about rabies, and friends who have narrowly escaped aggressive stray encounters. On the other side exist the city’s dog lovers, who view these same dogs as their dear companions and protectors, feeding them each day and advocating for their right to live humanely. Caught between these two viewpoints, the Supreme Court of India, on August 11, 2025, issued a landmark directive1: all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR must be relocated to shelters within eight weeks. The ruling was intended to safeguard public health and prevent any further incidents of aggression. However, it has sparked intense debate, dividing citizens, activists, and policymakers alike. As Delhi continues to struggle with the implementation of this order, a pressing question comes up: how can the national capital ensure public safety without compromising the welfare and rights of its most vulnerable residents: its stray dogs?
