Stray dogs case: We will play video, ask you what is humanity, SC tells petitioner

Challenging a petitioner in the stray dog ​​case saying that they were being treated “inhumanely” by some rules set by the Delhi municipal corporation, the Supreme Court on Thursday, December 18, 2025, said a video “asking you what humanity is” will be played in the next hearing.

Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing in the stray dogs case, told the Bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta that the three-judge special bench scheduled to meet on Thursday to hear the matter has been cancelled.

“He will come on January 7,” said Justice Nath.

Mr. Sibal said, “The problem is that MCD [Municipal Corporation of Delhi]Meanwhile, he set some completely contradictory rules.”

When the board said it would take up the issue on January 7, Mr Sibal said the authorities would implement the rules in December. “They will enforce this and remove the dogs. They have no shelter,” he said.

Judge Nath said, “No problem, Mr. Sibal. Let them do it, we will evaluate it.”

Mr. Sibal urged the Board to hear the matter on Friday, saying the authorities did not even have dog shelters. “What was done is extremely inhumane,” he said.

Judge Mehta said to Mr. Sibal, “On the next date, we will play a video for your benefit and ask you what humanity is.”

Mr. Sibal said that they will also play a video to show what is happening.

“The point is that your lordships have issued an order and we respect that. But the point is that there are legal rules,” he said.

The Bench said it would take up the matter on January 7.

On November 7, taking into account the “alarming rise” in dog bite cases in institutional areas such as educational institutions, hospitals and railway stations, the high court ordered that stray dogs should be immediately shifted to designated shelters after necessary sterilization and vaccination.

The three-judge special panel also said that stray dogs collected in this way will not be returned to the place where they were taken.

The bench had directed officials to ensure that all cattle and other stray animals are removed from state highways, national highways and highways.

He had said that the recurrence of dog bite incidents in institutional spaces, including sports complexes, reflected not only administrative apathy but also a “systemic failure” to protect these facilities from preventable dangers.

The top court had given a set of directions regarding the danger of stray dogs in the suo motu case.

The suo motu case is being heard in the national capital, which was initiated on July 28 over a media report that stray dog ​​bites were causing rabies, especially among children.