The Supreme Court of India on Monday sharply criticized several states and Union territories for failing to submit compliance reports on the implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, which aim to manage the country’s growing stray dog population humanely. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath summoned the chief secretaries of all states and UTs, directing them to appear in person on November 3 and explain the continued non-compliance. The bench expressed frustration that despite three months of extension, most states had not filed the required affidavits. Only Telangana, West Bengal, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi had submitted reports, prompting the court to warn that bureaucrats would face personal accountability for negligence.

Justice Nath emphasized that the repeated delay had not only hampered the formulation of a national stray dog management policy but also embarrassed India internationally. “Your country is being shown in a bad light at global forums due to your inaction,” he remarked, adding that the court would impose penalties if the apathy continued. The bench reminded officials that the ABC Rules require municipalities and animal husbandry departments to carry out systematic sterilisation and vaccination drives under the “catch-neuter-vaccinate-release” model. The judges questioned whether state officers even followed media reports, saying, “Our orders were published widely. Do these officials not read newspapers or use social media?”

The Supreme Court has been monitoring the issue suo motu since August, when it expanded the scope of proceedings to include all states and UTs and consolidated similar high court cases. The bench’s current approach seeks to balance animal welfare with public safety after a surge in dog-bite incidents across India, including the death of a six-year-old girl earlier this year. The court reaffirmed that stray dogs should be sterilised, vaccinated, and returned to their localities unless they are rabid or dangerous. It also ordered the creation of designated feeding zones in every ward while banning feeding in public streets and residential areas. The hearing on November 3 is expected to shape India’s first unified national framework for humane and effective stray dog control.