New Delhi, Oct 27: The Supreme Court on Monday directed the chief secretaries of all states and Union Territories except West Bengal and Telangana to appear before it on November 3, after observing that most had failed to file compliance affidavits in the ongoing stray dogs case.
A special three-judge bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria noted that only the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, and the states of West Bengal and Telangana had submitted their affidavits as directed by the court’s order dated August 22.
The bench expressed strong displeasure over the lack of response from the other states and UTs, stating that the August order “contained everything” necessary for compliance.
The case, which began as a suo motu proceeding concerning stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, was expanded by the Supreme Court on August 22 to cover all states and Union Territories. In the same order, the top court also modified its earlier directive that barred the release of vaccinated stray dogs from pounds, calling the restriction “too harsh.”
The revised order allowed the release of dogs post sterilisation and de-worming, marking a shift toward a more balanced approach in managing the stray dog population across India.
The upcoming hearing on November 3 is expected to assess the level of compliance and discuss further measures to address the stray dog issue nationwide.