High Court Pulls Up National Highway Authority Over Stray Dog Menace, Demands Progress Report from Gujarat Government

Taking strict notice of the growing stray dog menace across the state, the Gujarat High Court on Monday issued notices to the Gujarat government, all eight municipal corporations, and various municipalities, demanding comprehensive progress reports on stray dog management every four months in accordance with directions from the Supreme Court.

During the suo motu hearing, a division bench led by Chief Justice Sunita Agarwal severely admonished the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) after its counsel attempted to pass the buck onto the state administration regarding stray animals on national highways.

"You cannot dump your responsibility on the government every time," Chief Justice Agarwal remarked, pulling up NHAI officials for failing to maintain safety protocols along highway stretches.

The court singled out the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC), directing civic authorities to treat their stray dog control and sterilization drive as a model "pilot project" to set an actionable standard for other municipal bodies across Gujarat. The High Court ordered the Animal Husbandry Department, NHAI, and local civic authorities to submit detailed compliance reports under the Apex Court's mandate ahead of the next hearing scheduled for August 4.

National Policy Driven by Supreme Court Interventions

The High Court's directives follow a landmark order issued by the Supreme Court on August 22, 2025, when the apex court initiated suo motu proceedings after a six-year-old girl tragically died of rabies in Delhi.

While taking note of widespread stray dog attacks affecting children, elderly citizens, and daily commuters nationwide, the Supreme Court ruled that protecting human life remains the primary duty of the state. However, the court emphasized that animal welfare must be balanced with public safety without causing unlawful harm to animals.

Addressing practical implementation issues, the Supreme Court partially modified its earlier order that mandated relocating all strays in Delhi-NCR to permanent shelters. Aligning with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, the court clarified that keeping every stray dog in permanent shelters is neither logistically feasible nor compliant with statutory rules.

Instead, non-aggressive strays must be released back into their original territories following sterilization, deworming, and rabies vaccination. However, the court explicitly barred releasing rabies-infected or dangerously aggressive dogs back onto public streets, mandating their isolation in specialized shelter facilities.

Mandatory Feeding Zones and Public Helplines Mandated

To reduce conflict on public roads, civic bodies across Gujarat must now implement key guidelines established by the Supreme Court:

• Designated Feeding Zones: Municipal corporations must mark out specific dog-feeding areas in every municipal ward. Feeding stray dogs on public roads, footpaths, or unapproved public places is strictly prohibited, with legal action warned against violators.

• Dedicated Helplines and Infrastructure: Local administration must establish dedicated public helplines to handle citizen complaints regarding aggressive strays, alongside expanding dog shelters, veterinary staff, and sterilization facilities.

• Uniform Legal Framework: High Courts across India have been instructed to compile pending petitions regarding stray dogs for consolidated review by the Supreme Court, ensuring a single, standardized legal policy is enforced nationwide.