'Somebody Should Counsel Dogs Not To Bite, Dogs' Mood In Morning Is Not Known': SC
Justice Vikram Nath said there should be an exercise to prevent dog bite incidents, and roads have to be clear of dogs.
By Sumit Saxena
Published : January 7, 2026 at 1:19 PM IST
|Updated : January 7, 2026 at 6:32 PM IST
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday orally observed that no one can predict a dog's state of mind - whether it is "in the mood" to bite or not - and noted that the fatalities were not just due to dog bites but also due to road accidents caused by stray animals.
As a counsel listed suggestions to address dog bites, the top court orally remarked: "The only thing left is to provide counselling to the dog as well, so that it does not bite once released back".
The matter came up before a bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria. Justice Nath observed that dogs may bite or chase somebody while the person is on a two-wheeler or a bicycle, and the person may fall or an accident could occur.
"While they are running on the road is itself dangerous for passing vehicles, especially two wheelers and cycle riders…have you been on a two-wheeler or not", Justice Nath asked senior advocate Kapil Sibal, who replied that he had been during the early days of his career.
Justice Nath said the biting is not the only issue, dogs' chasing people on cycles. Sibal, who was representing a party in the matter, said not every dog does it, and it is essential to identify.
"How do you identify which dog is in which mood in the morning, you do not know…", said Justice Nath. Sibal said, is the solution that all dogs must be sheltered? The bench said that there should be an exercise to ensure roads or streets are free of dogs.
Sibal said dogs live in compounds and they live in universities, and "when I was in a university, there were dogs and none bit me, and many dogs are in Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)". Justice Mehta asked are you serious, and added, "your information is outdated. National Law School of India University, Bengaluru has reported many attacks".
Justice Nath said there should be an exercise to prevent dog bite incidents, and "nobody is saying that remove the dogs and shoot them, no…roads have to be clear of dogs". Sibal insisted on adopting a scientific method to address the issue and pressed that sheltering all dogs is not the solution.
Sibal listed suggestions to tackle dog bites and the rehabilitation of "unruly" dogs. Justice Mehta said, "The only thing which is left out is providing counselling to the dog as well that the dog should not bite once released back…". Sibal said that must be in a lighter vein, and I am sure your lordships do not really mean it.
Sibal, opposing sending dogs to the shelter, said if you know the kind of food they give to inmates in Tihar jail, you'll know the food they get in dog shelters. The bench said NGOs give food in shelters too. Sibal said not for 1.5 crore dogs. Justice Mehta said if they're really concerned, they would.
Sibal said putting all dogs in the shelter is not the solution, it is physically not possible and economically not feasible, and dangerous for humans, and a solution has to be found by a scientific methodology.
Justice Mehta said as far as institutions are concerned, they are not streets and asked, why do you need dogs in court premises, universities?
The bench observed that the rules say they have to be released back in the same area, and asked then how will the institutions be dogs-free? Should they be released on the streets?
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta contended that everything was focussed on dog lovers instead of animal lovers, and emphasised that the RWA should decide whether dogs should roam in a gated colony and not a few individuals. He said when 90 per cent of residents oppose stray dogs, and 10 per cent insist on keeping them, then the problem begins, and asked, what happens if tomorrow someone says I want to keep a buffalo or cow in my home?
The bench asked Sibal, what about other animal lives? What about chickens and goats? Don't they have lives? Sibal replied that he has stopped eating chicken because they are caged in such a cruel manner, and added that the other side is that if one tiger is a man-eater all tigers don't have to be killed as man-eaters. Sibal pressed that municipal corporations had failed to enrol agencies and NGOs to carry out work as per the ABC rules.
Sibal emphasised that the capture, sterilise, vaccinate, release (CSVR) model was successful, and in India, where garbage dumping and slums are rampant, removal of stray dogs would add to the problem, and keeping strays in shelters would create a huge economic burden on municipal authorities.
On November 7, 2025, the Supreme Court had said against the backdrop of alarming rise in dog bites incidents within institutional areas like educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands, and railway stations, it is essential to issue directions in the interest of public safety, health, and management of stray dogs and directed that such canines should be moved to designated shelters.
The apex court was hearing a suo motu case, which was initiated on July 28, 2025, over a media report on stray dog bites leading to rabies, particularly among children, in Delhi. The apex court had expanded the scope of the stray dogs’ case beyond the confines of Delhi-National Capital Region, and directed that all states and union territories be made parties in the matter.
The top court adjourned the matter for the day and will continue the hearing on January 8, 2026.
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