The Supreme Court of India has issued sweeping new orders to tackle the rising menace of stray dogs on public premises. A bench led by Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria directed all states and union territories to remove stray dogs from schools, hospitals, bus depots, railway stations and sports complexes, ensuring they are relocated to shelters following vaccination and sterilisation. 

Importantly, the court underscored that dogs captured from these premises must not be released back into the same area, stating such a practice would “frustrate the very purpose” of securing the institutions. It also instructed authorities to fence institutional boundaries within eight weeks, designate nodal officers for maintenance and carry out inspections. 

In a related directive, the court mandated removal of stray cattle from national and state highways under the supervision of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). With dog-bite incidents reportedly rising and public safety at stake, the decision signals a tightrope walk between humane animal control and protection of human dignity in public spaces.