On 19th August, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ordered immediate action to pick up ferocious and habitual biting stray dogs following directions from the Supreme Court of India. The circular, accessed by OpIndia, comes in compliance with the 11th August ruling in the suo motu case on the stray dog menace.
The circular, that OpIndia recieved from a reliable source, has not been independently verified.
MCD has directed all NGOs working with the civic body under existing MoUs for sterilisation and immunisation to lift aggressive strays, especially from vulnerable locations such as government offices, hospitals, schools, parks and residential colonies. The dogs will be kept in ABC centres. MCD has made it mandatory that CCTV footage and physical records must be maintained.
Zonal veterinary officers have been tasked with ensuring coordination, while reports are to be logged via the 311 App and submitted daily by email. The circular emphasised that the directive must be given top priority.
Dog activists, however, strongly opposed the circular and called it “illegal”. They questioned how authorities would distinguish between ferocious dogs and normal strays. They accused the civic body of misinterpreting the Supreme Court’s direction.
VIDEO | On MCD's circular regarding stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, advocate Nanita Sharma says, "… The judgment has been reserved by a three-judge bench and here they are flouting the orders of the court. This is unacceptable. How will they even differentiate between the ferocious… pic.twitter.com/VugUGZdxG7
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 20, 2025
In reality, the activists are spreading misleading information about both the court order and its implementation. The 11th August judgment has not been stayed and remains fully in force. Identifying biting dogs is no “mystery”, as the MCD relies on a complaint-based helpline and prioritises pick-ups from government offices, hospitals, schools and other vulnerable areas.
OpIndia tried contacting concerned MCD officials about the circular to verify it but could not connect.
