On 18th August, self-styled “dog lovers” attacked Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) officials who were out to pick aggressive dogs following the Supreme Court’s 11th August orders in the suo motu case on stray dogs in Delhi-NCR. OpIndia received several videos from multiple sources showing MCD officials being attacked in the Rohini area of Delhi.
Watch: Self-styled “dog lovers” in Delhi attack MCD officials, damage vans and threaten staff for removing aggressive strays as per Supreme Court orders. Lawful duty met with violence, citizens’ safety ignored. pic.twitter.com/T1nmPfabvQ
— OpIndia.com (@OpIndia_com) August 18, 2025
The attackers were heard threatening officials with dire consequences. In three of the videos, the so-called dog lovers damaged the MCD van, creating a hostile environment for those engaged in court-mandated duty.
OpIndia talked to its sources about the incident. It was revealed during the conversation that, following the apex court’s order, several Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) across Delhi sent requests to MCD to remove dogs with a biting history and those deemed dangerous. The request was in sync with the Supreme Court’s detailed order of 11th August that made it clear that MCD authorities were required to actively act on complaints regarding aggressive strays, emphasising that citizens’ rights to safety cannot be violated by forced re-release of biting dogs under the ABC Rules, 2023. The court also underlined that such dogs must be removed immediately to prevent further attacks.
Despite the clarity in the order and no immediate stay on the apex court’s judgment by the larger bench, so-called “dog lovers” opposed the removal attempt and obstructed the officials by resorting to intimidation and violence. It has to be noted that the Supreme Court, in its order, made it clear that any such obstruction will be seen as contempt of court and will be dealt with strictly. However, it appears that these self-styled dog lovers have no respect for the order of the apex court or for the safety of the general public, which is facing severe trauma on a daily basis because of the uncontrolled population of stray dogs on Indian streets.
Upon further investigation, OpIndia came across several Instagram pages and handles that actively shared these videos as their “victory” against MCD. In one of the videos, they forced an MCD official to issue a statement asking other MCD officials not to pick dogs if they wanted to save themselves from being beaten.
The vandalism of government property and threats issued against workers underscore how sections of “dog lovers” have resorted to terrorising those tasked with upholding the law and protecting public safety.
It is important to note that the officials were not carrying out indiscriminate removals but were following clear court directions and citizen complaints. Obstructing them undermines the judiciary’s authority and puts ordinary citizens at risk. If civic staff cannot act without fear, implementation of the court’s order will be paralysed, leaving residents vulnerable to dog attacks.
The incident has raised urgent questions about how far certain groups will go in shielding aggressive strays, even at the cost of human safety.
