Supreme Court Stray Dog Order Implementation Insights from CJ Memorial Trust - Note to Central Corporation Blr

Presentation to the Commissioner, Bangalore Central Corporation on 11 Nov 2025 1130 am BMRDA Office Ali Asker Road as part of ABC Monitoring Committee Meeting

Subject: Regarding the Implementation of the Supreme Court Order Dated 7th November on Stray Dog Removal

From: A Representative of the SPCA

Honourable Commissioner, esteemed colleagues,

Thank you for the opportunity to address this urgent matter.

The SPCA appreciates the Corporation's long-standing commitment to effective and humane animal management. We are here today to present a detailed analysis outlining why the immediate implementation of the recent Supreme Court order is not only untenable but would also actively undermine public health, animal welfare, and the exemplary work already done by the BBMP.

Here are our key points, structured for clarity and action.

1. The Order Requires Detailed Study, Not Precipitous Action.

The Supreme Court has given a deadline of 22nd November. This period should be used for a thorough assessment of the logistical, spatial, and financial implications of such a massive undertaking, not for hasty and chaotic round-ups. Rushing this process will guarantee failure and chaos.

2. Bangalore’s Herd Immunity is a Public Health Triumph We Must Protect.

• Data-Driven Success: In the Central Corporation area, we estimate we have achieved an 85-90% vaccination rate against rabies in the street dog population. The AHVS Officers have a more conservative estimate and state that out of a total of 2.79 lakh dogs in Bangalore, Central Bangalore Corporation  have a dog population of 34581 of which 68.9% ie 21338 dogs are neutered. This data was arrived at via ward wise census break up.

• Herd Immunity: This high vaccination coverage creates "herd immunity," breaking the transmission cycle of rabies and protecting both human and animal populations. This is a public health success story recognized across India.

• Undermining Success: Indiscriminate removal of vaccinated, healthy dogs from this ecosystem will shatter this herd immunity, making the city more vulnerable to rabies outbreaks, not less.

3. The "Vacuum Effect": A Scientific Certainty of Failure.

• Removing dogs from a territory creates a vacuum.

• Dogs from adjacent, potentially unvaccinated areas (including bordering rural or open 'Gomala' areas) will immediately move in to occupy these vacant, resource-rich territories.

• This will reset the problem to zero, replacing known, vaccinated, and regulated dogs with unknown, unvaccinated, and unsettled ones, making future Animal Birth Control (ABC) efforts far more difficult.

4. The Current System is Effective, Regulated, and Humane.

The dogs in these public spaces are not unmanaged. They are part of a well-oiled system:

• Responsible Caretakers: They have identified, responsible feeders.

• Designated Feeder Spots: Feeding is regulated to specific spots and times.

• Near-Complete Vaccination: As stated, the vast majority are vaccinated.Removing these integrated dogs is not a solution; it is an act of extreme cruelty and capriciousness that solves no existing problem.

5. Logistical and Financial Impossibility.

The scale of this task makes it unworkable:

• Identification & Listing: Merely identifying and listing all dogs across all government offices and educational institutions would be a monumental, time-consuming task.

• Shelter Capacity: Housing these dogs humanely would require a minimum of 10 new large-scale shelters.

• Prohibitive Cost:

  • Capital Expenditure: Approximately ₹5 Crores for infrastructure.

  • Annual Recurring Cost: A minimum of ₹3 Crores per year for food, medical care, and staff.

• This cost is multiple times higher than the current, effective ABC/ARV program and represents a catastrophic misallocation of public funds for a cruel and ineffective outcome.

• High level standards are needed in shelter infrastructure, allotment of space , staffing, food and medical care – you have agreed to a jointly written SOP as well as a clear Expression of Interest from interested and validated NGOs/ Shelter Partners

• 
  

6. Legal and Authorisation Minefield.

• Authorised Agencies: The only agencies authorized to handle dogs under the ABC program are the NGO partners of the AWBI, like VSAWRD for the Central Corporation.

• Risk of De-recognition: If these NGOs comply with this order, they run the high risk of having their licenses suspended or revoked by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) for acting against the ABC Rules, 2023.

• Public & Activist Opposition: Such actions will face massive, legitimate resistance from animal welfare activists and the public, leading to protests and legal challenges that will paralyze the process.

7. Contradictory Legal Framework and the Need for Clarity.

The recent order appears to contradict the Supreme Court's own earlier judgments and the centrally enacted Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, which mandate sterilization and vaccination as the primary, lawful method for street dog population control. Until this legal contradiction is examined and clarified by the Supreme Court, any drastic action risks being a colossal waste of time, effort, and money, only to be potentially overturned.

8. The Immense Suffering of the "Voiceless."

We must not forget the sentient beings at the heart of this issue. This order, if implemented, will cause:

• Extreme fear, cruelty, and suffering for dogs who are peaceful and integrated into their environments.

• Death and injury during capture and in overcrowded shelters.These animals are the voiceless victims of a decision made far away in Delhi, unaware of the fate that awaits them.

Conclusion and Recommended Path Forward

Honourable Commissioner, the matrix of data clearly shows that the BBMP's compassionate and scientifically-backed ABC/ARV program is working. It is a public health model for other cities.

To use a transportation analogy: building more flyovers and tunnels (i.e., mass removal) is a band-aid solution that creates more long-term problems. The real solution is investing in robust public transport (i.e., systematic ABC/ARV), which we have already successfully started.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that the GBA:

1. File a Review Petition before the Supreme Court, presenting the facts of Bangalore's successful ABC program and the infeasibility of the order.

2. Seek Clarification from the Court on how this order reconciles with the ABC Rules, 2023.

3. Hold All Action until a clear, consistent, and implementable legal direction is received.

4. Continue and Strengthen the existing, proven ABC and vaccination drive, which protects both citizens and animals effectively and humanely.

5. We appreciate your perspective that compassion will be the overruling approach and the committee will direct and guide the effort & that there will be no short cuts, it will be handled with a human/humane approach

   
   

   Let us not undo years of consistent, effective work. Let us act with caution, compassion, and common sense.

Thank you.

Priya Chetty-Rajagopal

SPCA Rep on ABC Monitoring Committee, Bangalore Central Corporation

---

Note to self :

The Supreme Court's order, which addresses the issue of stray dogs under the Suo Moto Writ Petition (Civil) No. 5 of 2025, modifies and supplements existing guidelines, placing new, enforceable duties on municipal and state authorities.

Here is a summary of the actionable points, their context within the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and a confirmation of their enforceability.

Actionable Points from the Supreme Court Order

Category	Actionable Point	Compliance Deadline
I. General Stray Dog Management	A. Sterilisation and Release: Municipal authorities must continue to capture, sterilise, deworm, and vaccinate stray dogs in accordance with the ABC Rules, 2023. Sterilised and immunised dogs must be released back to the same localities from where they were picked up.	Ongoing
	B. Non-Release Exception: Dogs infected with or suspected to be infected with rabies, or those exhibiting aggressive behaviour, are not to be released back to the same locality.	Immediate
II. Institutional and Public Areas	A. Removal and Permanent Shelter: Jurisdictional municipal bodies must forthwith remove every stray dog found within the premises of: <ul><li>Educational institutions</li><li>Hospitals (public or private)</li><li>Sports complexes</li><li>Bus stands/depots and railway stations</li></ul>Such animals shall not be released back to these institutional areas and must be shifted to a designated shelter after sterilisation and vaccination.	Immediate
	B. Securing Premises: States and Union Territories must ensure these institutions (schools, colleges, hospitals, public transport hubs, sports facilities) are secured, preferably through boundary walls, to prevent the entry of stray dogs.	Within 8 weeks from November 7, 2025
	C. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) must formulate uniform SOPs for the prevention of dog bites and the management of stray dogs in institutional premises.	Within 8 weeks from November 7, 2025
III. Road Safety (Stray Cattle/Animals)	A. Removal from Highways: All concerned authorities (municipal bodies, PWDs, Road and Transport Departments, and NHAI) must ensure the removal of stray cattle and other animals from National Highways, National Expressways, and State Highways.	Immediate
	B. Housing: Removed animals must be housed in dedicated Gau Sadans, pounds, or shelters, and cannot be released back onto public roads.	Immediate
IV. Compliance and Monitoring	A. Addressing Deficiencies: States and UTs must peruse the Amicus Curiae's report and take immediate steps to address the deficiencies and shortcomings in their current compliance efforts.	Immediate
	B. Filing Affidavit: States and UTs must file comprehensive additional affidavits detailing the remedial measures taken to ensure full compliance.	Before the next hearing on January 13, 2026

Context of the ABC Rules 2023

The Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, mandate the Capture–Neuter–Vaccinate–Release (CNVR) protocol, which requires dogs to be released back into the same locality after sterilisation and vaccination (Rule 11(19)).

• Areas of Conformance: The Supreme Court order upholds and directs implementation of the core CNVR protocol from the ABC Rules, specifically the requirement to sterilise, vaccinate, and release dogs back to their original areas, except for aggressive/rabid ones.

• Areas of Modification/Exception: The Court has carved out a clear exception to the 'release-back' rule for sensitive areas. The direction to permanently remove stray dogs from institutions like schools, hospitals, and transport hubs is a modification of the strict release-back mandate of the ABC Rules, prioritising public safety in high-footfall areas.

Enforceability?

All the directions in the Supreme Court Order are technically legally enforceable.

1. Constitutional Authority: The Supreme Court's orders are binding on all courts and authorities in India under Article 141 and Article 142 of the Constitution.

2. Contempt Warning: The order explicitly warns that any reported non-compliance of any of the directions shall be viewed very seriously and may invite penalties/consequences, including but not limited to the initiation of suo moto contempt proceedings against the erring officials.

3. Personal Accountability: The Chief Secretaries of all States and UTs are directed to ensure strict enforcement and hold the concerned officers personally accountable for lapses or recurring incidents in their jurisdictions (in Part II, relating to road safety).