SC Slams States for "Castles in the Air" Approach to Stray Dog Sterilisation

• The Supreme Court expressed strong displeasure over states' non-compliance with orders to enhance stray dog sterilisation capacity and manage stray animals.
• A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria criticized states for "storytelling" and making vague statements without concrete action or data.
• Amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwal highlighted deficiencies in states' efforts, noting insufficient sterilisation numbers and lack of proper audits for ABC centers.
• The court was shocked by Assam's reported dog bite statistics (1.66 lakh in 2024, 20,900 in Jan 2025) and emphasized the need for proper fencing of institutional areas.
• The apex court reiterated its earlier directives for animal birth control facilities, dog pounds, fencing of institutional areas, and removal of stray animals from roads.

Why It Matters: The Supreme Court is highly critical of states' failure to implement effective measures for stray dog management.