Changing public perception and recent court orders on street dogs are concerning. On 11 August 2025, the Supreme Court ordered the relocation of all street dogs in Delhi NCR to dog shelters. The order was modified on 22 August 2025; healthy and non-aggressive street dogs were to be released back to the areas from where they were picked up. Feeding street dogs in public areas was prohibited and the scope of the matter was extended beyond Delhi NCR. The modified order has been appreciated by the public as scientific since it mandates sterilisation and vaccination before release.

On 7 November 2025, the Supreme Court directed the removal of stray dogs from educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and depots, and railway stations. All such animals are to be relocated to designated shelters. They should also be sterilised and vaccinated as per the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. Public response to this ruling has largely been critical with many calling it hasty, impractical, and potentially harmful to street dogs. However, a considerable number of people are backing this order calling it a necessary step for protecting humans. We now stand at a critical juncture where considerations of animal rights intersect with public safety concerns. At the heart of this matter is the plight of stray, street or community dogs who exist as a consequence of human actions. Dogs have undergone centuries of domestication and selective breeding which have made them dependent on human environments.........

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