In Brief
This case concerns the control and management of stray dogs in India. The Supreme Court reaffirmed that stray dogs must be managed through humane, scientific animal birth control methods under statutory rules administered by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), not through culling by private individuals or groups. The Court prohibited organizations from training children or distributing weapons to kill dogs and barred public campaigns promoting vigilante dog elimination. While the Court acknowledged that culling may be permissible as a last resort when human life is threatened, such decisions must follow statutory procedures through authorized government agencies. The judgment emphasized coordinated responsibility across central, state, and local authorities and ordered continuation of monitoring by a specially appointed judicial committee.
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