Madras high court seeks report from Tamil Nadu, Puducherry on steps taken to tackle stray dog menace

NEW DELHI: The Madras high court has directed the governments of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to submit detailed reports on the steps taken to implement the Supreme Court's directions on removing stray dogs from public places, including educational institutions, hospitals, bus stands and railway stations, as per a report by LiveLaw.A bench comprising Chief Justice S.A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan, which registered the matter as a suo motu case following a Supreme Court direction, issued notices to senior officials of both governments on June 22 and adjourned the matter to July 21.The court issued notices to the Chief Secretaries of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, along with secretaries of departments dealing with animal husbandry, health and municipal administration in both states.The high court's intervention follows a Supreme Court order dated May 19, 2026, which directed all high courts across the country to register suo motu writ petitions to monitor compliance with its directions on stray dog management. The apex court had also warned that it would initiate contempt proceedings if officials failed to comply.While directing high courts to take up monitoring, the Supreme Court had observed that entrusting them with oversight would ensure closer engagement with local conditions and timely corrective intervention.

The Supreme Court had passed its directions while disposing of applications challenging the Standard Operating Procedures issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India, following its earlier order dated November 7, 2025. It had directed states and union territories to take time-bound steps to strengthen sterilisation and vaccination infrastructure, establish at least one fully functional Animal Birth Control centre in every district, and ensure adequate availability of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin in government medical facilities.