Supreme Court Slams States Over Fake Data on Stray Dogs, Orders Strict Action

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday sharply criticized several states for providing misleading information on stray dog management, calling their affidavits “eye-wash” and “full of fabricated figures.” The bench emphasized that compliance with Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules is essential to control stray dog populations and ensure public safety.

A three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria reviewed the states’ responses and expressed shock over the figures submitted by Jharkhand, which claimed that nearly 1.9 lakh dogs were vaccinated and sterilized in just two months. The court noted that such a scale of sterilization is impossible given the resources and manpower available.

The Supreme Court reiterated its November 7, 2025 directive, which ordered states to remove stray dogs from public spaces including schools, hospitals, sports grounds, bus depots, and railway stations. The court also mandated vaccination and sterilization under ABC rules to prevent dog bites and protect public safety.

Major Gaps in State Data

The court highlighted glaring deficiencies in the states’ submissions:

• Many affidavits lacked accurate figures on stray dog populations.
• Details on dog pounds, ABC centers, and manpower assigned to remove stray dogs were missing.
• Assam reported 1.66 lakh dog bite cases in 2024, but has only one dog control center. In January 2025 alone, there were 20,900 dog bite cases.

Senior advocate Gaurav Agrawal, acting as amicus curiae, informed the court about these discrepancies and gaps in the data.

Comparing Jharkhand’s claims to other states, the bench noted that Delhi sterilizes around one lakh dogs in a year, highlighting the implausibility of the two-month sterilization figures. The bench warned that states providing such inflated or fabricated data will be strictly reprimanded.

Court’s Expectations

The Supreme Court made it clear that states must take the ABC rules seriously, comply fully, and ensure citizens’ safety. The court’s strong response signals that authorities could face severe action if they fail to implement stray dog management measures effectively.