Pulse of Delhi NCR residents on Supreme Court stray dog order: 71% surveyed support it while 24% oppose it

August 14, 2025, New Delhi: The Supreme Court appointed special bench has heard 4 cases regarding stray dogs in Delhi NCR including fresh pleas against rounding up the strays and keeping them in shelters. The four cases included the Suo motu case (on which the August 11 order was given), a 2024 petition that was mentioned before the court earlier, and another PIL.

The highest court, in its order on August 11, had directed civic authorities to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR localities within 8 weeks, triggering heated debates among animal lovers and residents of Delhi NCR.

The top court has directed the Delhi government and civic bodies in Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad to begin the immediate removal of stray dogs from all localities and house them in shelters and ensure that the animals should not be allowed to return to the streets. While the Resident Welfare Associates (RWAs) have welcomed this order, animal activists have argued that civic bodies lack the land and funds to carry out the "mammoth" task. They have also warned that putting thousands of dogs in shelters will lead to distress as canines are territorial and could get into conflict.

Warning that anyone blocking the exercise of shifting stray dogs would face action for contempt of court, the Supreme Court has directed the civic authorities in the Delhi NCR region to create shelter capacity for at least 5,000 dogs within six to eight weeks.

These facilities must be staffed with sufficient personnel for sterilization and vaccination, equipped with CCTV monitoring to prevent any release, and designed to scale up in the future. The civic authorities have also been instructed to start a helpline for reporting dog bite cases.

Moving lakhs of stray dogs to shelters that do not exist yet is a task that requires significant funding and time. Per a population survey conducted in 2022-23, Delhi has around 10 lakh community dogs, with less than half sterilized, according to PETA India, which has strongly opposed the SC orders.

The civic authorities have a tough task ahead as even if 500 dogs are placed in one shelter, the authorities would be required to have about 2,000 shelters for housing all the stray dogs. Currently, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) runs just 20 animal control centers, where dogs are kept for short duration after being sterilized.

Delhi NCR has thousands of people feeding stray dogs and cats across different neighborhoods and in other areas. There are many kitchens in the region that cater only to the needs of these strays. On the other hand, there are many more residents who may or may not love dogs but many surely fear stray dogs and ferocious or temperamental pet dogs.

LocalCircles through a survey has strived to find out whether residents of Delhi NCR are in agreement with the two bench Supreme Court order on stray dogs.

Pulse of Delhi NCR residents on SC stray dog management order: 71% surveyed support it while 24% oppose it

To the question “Do you support the latest Supreme Court order of removing all stray dogs from Delhi NCR within 8 weeks and move them into shelters”, the survey received 12,816 responses. Out of them, 71% of the respondents to the survey stated “yes, fully support” the SC orders. 24% of respondents stated “no, don’t support” the order and 5% of respondents did not give a clear answer. In essence, 71% Delhi NCR residents: surveyed support SC stray dog management order while 24% oppose it.

In summary, the Supreme Court seems to have answered 71% of Delhi NCR residents plea to help make the streets free of stray dog menace. On the other hand, the survey shows that 24% of those surveyed are opposed to the order. It remains to be seen how civic authorities in Delhi NCR implement the orders and whether they the 3 judge bench will stay it. It is clear that a large majority of residents of Delhi NCR are in favour of their municipality executing the two judge bench order. Any reversal done by the 3 judge bench will be bereft of public support and is likely to see strong dissent being expressed by the public. However, if the order is not stayed and implementation continues, it is likely to see some much needed reforms in this critical area in Delhi NCR which can then be expanded nationwide.

Survey Demographics

The survey received over 12,000 responses from residents of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad. 62% respondents were men while 38% respondents were women. The survey was conducted via LocalCircles platform and all participants were validated citizens who had to be registered with LocalCircles to participate in this survey.