Supreme Court rejects plea seeking direction to prevent cruelty to dogs in animal birth control centres

Published 27 July 2026 · india

The Supreme Court on Monday (July 27, 2026) refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to

The Supreme Court on Monday (July 27, 2026) refused to entertain a plea seeking a direction to the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to take effective action to address the issue of cruelty to dogs in animal birth control centres and shelters. Also read | Supreme Court allows for euthanasia of ‘rabid dogs’, refuses to recall directives to remove strays from public spaces The Supreme Court dismissed the plea, which also sought a direction to the Centre, all States and Union Territories (UTs) to ensure that no municipal body or local authority engages any animal welfare organisation for conducting animal birth control operations unless it holds a valid project recognition certificate from the AWBI. According to the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, no animal birth control programme for street dogs shall be conducted unless the local authority or animal welfare organisation has obtained a certificate of project recognition for conducting such a programme under the rules.

The counsel appearing for the petitioner told a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta about the project recognition certificate. The counsel also referred to the top court's May 19 verdict which had passed a slew of directions, including asking the states and UTs to take time-bound steps for augmenting the infrastructure necessary for effective implementation of the animal birth control framework. "Dismissed," the bench said. The plea sought a direction to all animal welfare organisations that have not obtained renewal of their project recognition even after completing five years of recognition to immediately apply and obtain renewal from the AWBI. It also sought a direction that all animal welfare organisations that have not obtained renewal of their project recognition from the AWBI should forthwith cease from conducting any animal birth control operations until they obtain valid renewal of their project recognition.

The plea sought a direction to the AWBI "to take immediate and effective action to prevent and address the rapid increase in cruelty to dogs in animal birth control centres and shelters across the country, including by conducting regular inspections of such centres and by initiating action against organisations and individuals responsible for cruelty to animals". In a significant verdict delivered on May 19, the Supreme Court allowed euthanasia of rabid, incurably ill, dangerous and aggressive dogs to curb the threat to human lives, saying the right to live with dignity encompasses the right to move freely without the threat of harm from stray canines. The Supreme Court had dismissed the petitions and applications for recall, modification of its November 7, 2025 order, including directive on the relocation and sterilisation of stray dogs from institutional areas.