Overview

• A three-judge Supreme Court bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria has paused the 11 August order to round up all Delhi-NCR strays and house them in shelters pending further review.
• Animal rights activists and dog lovers have taken to the streets in Delhi, Chennai, Assam and beyond, leading to FIRs and detentions for defying prohibitory orders.
• Critics warn that rapid mass relocation without adequate infrastructure will cause overcrowding, stress and increased canine mortality, and they call for an expanded sterilisation and vaccination programme under existing ABC rules.
• Solicitor General Tushar Mehta has cited WHO figures on millions of annual dog bites and hundreds of rabies deaths to defend the need for urgent removal measures.
• Public figures from local Resident Welfare Associations to filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma remain divided, underscoring the fierce debate over balancing human safety with animal welfare as the court readies its interim decision.