India’s Supreme Court on Friday directed that canines picked up in the country’s National Capital Region (NCR) be sterilized, vaccinated, dewormed, and then released back to the localities from which they were taken, in line with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023.

A three-judge bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria termed an earlier August 11 directive to confine all strays in shelters as “too harsh” and warned that such a blanket approach was unworkable given India’s limited infrastructure. The court said dogs showing aggressive behavior or infected with rabies must not be released and should instead be kept in shelters.

The bench also imposed strict feeding regulations. Municipal authorities must designate feeding zones in each ward, with boards notif

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