Should Establish Shelter Homes For Stray Dogs: Madras High Court Orally Remarks In Plea To Ban/Regulate Aggressive Dogs In Public

The Madras High Court, on Thursday, orally remarked that shelter homes should be established to protect stray dogs, in addition to sterilizing and vaccinating them. The court has also asked the State government to give a detailed report on steps that could be taken to prevent stray dog bites, while ensuring that the stray dogs are not harmed/harassed in the process. 

The bench of Chief Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava and Justice Sunder Mohan was hearing a public interest litigation seeking directions to the Chennai Corporation Commissioner, the Directorate of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, and the Chennai District Collector to ban rottweiler dogs in public, causing inconvenience to the public.

The petitioner, a lawyer by profession, submitted that recently, a rottweiler had attacked public walking on the roads. He submitted that the particular breed of dog was known to be very aggressive. Pointing to the recent news reports of people being attacked by rottweiler dogs, the petitioner submitted that such dangerous dogs should be prevented from being brought into public places. He also added that even if dogs were kept at home, they could pose a serious threat to the lives of other residents in the settlement. The petitioner submitted that though he had sent representations to the authorities to ban or regulate these types of dogs on the roads, no action had been taken to date, prompting him to approach the court. 

As per the previous order of the court, the Chief Veterinary Officer, Veppery, Chennai, appeared before the court and filed a detailed report. As per the Veterinary Officer's report, there were 1.80 lakh street dogs in Chennai, and measures had been taken to control them. The officer informed the court that, as per usual practice, the dogs caught from one area were sterilized, vaccinated, and released back into the same area. The court was further informed that 5 sterilization centres were already working in the city, and 10 more were being set up.

When the court enquired as to the number of dog bites that had been reported, it was informed that an estimated 20,000 incidents of dog bites had happened in the past year. Shocked, the judges orally opined that steps should be taken to set up shelter homes for the stray dogs.

Noting that the Supreme Court is already seized of the matter in connection with stray dogs, the court adjourned the case by three weeks. 

Case Title: RS Tamilvendan v. The Chennai Corporation Commissioner

Case No: WP No. 29652 of 2025