‘No respect for court’s order’: SC summons chief secretaries in stray dogs case

The Supreme Court on Friday said there was “no respect” for its orders after most states and Union Territories (UTs) failed to follow its directions on controlling stray dog populations. The court has now ordered the chief secretaries of all states and UTs (except West Bengal and Telangana) to appear personally on November 3 at 10:30 a.m., and explain why they have not submitted reports on what actions have been taken.

In August, the court had asked every state and UT to file compliance affidavits showing what steps they have taken under the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2023, which require local bodies to manage stray dogs humanely through sterilisation, vaccination, and proper shelters. These affidavits were to include details of resources like dog-catching teams, vets, and facilities for animal care.

However, by October 27, only West Bengal, Telangana, and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) had filed their reports. The rest did not. When Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested that the chief secretaries be allowed to attend the next hearing virtually, the court refused.

Justice Vikram Nath, who led the bench along with Justice Sandeep Mehta, said the issue should have been handled by municipal and state authorities long ago. “It is very unfortunate that the court is wasting time dealing with problems that should have been addressed by governments. No action was taken despite clear rules. There is no respect for the court’s order. Let them come, we will deal with them,” he said.

The court is hearing this matter on its own (suo motu) after media reports highlighted repeated cases of dog bites and rabies deaths, especially among children. It had earlier expanded the scope of the case beyond Delhi-NCR to cover the entire country.

Even the Bihar government’s request to exempt its chief secretary from appearing, due to assembly elections, was rejected. The bench said, “The Election Commission will take care. Don’t worry. Let the chief secretary come.”

The Supreme Court’s remarks underline its frustration with how slowly the states are acting to enforce the rules meant to control the stray dog population in a humane and safe way.