India Supreme Court authorizes culling of aggressive street dogs

The Supreme Court of India issued an order permitting authorities to humanely kill aggressive or dangerous stray dogs when necessary to protect human life and safety. The ruling overturns earlier directives that limited culling and directs officials to follow existing animal welfare and birth‑control regulations while addressing the threat posed by feral dogs, especially in schools, hospitals, railway stations and other public places. The Court cited rising incidents of dog‑related injuries and infections, including rabies cases among children, and criticized inadequate implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program by several states. It also instructed states and union territories to improve infrastructure for managing stray dogs and to ensure that relocated dogs are not returned to the same locations.