J&K acts on SC directive; Govt panel to oversee removal of stray dogs from sensitive areas

Srinagar, Nov 20: In a major development that could significantly reshape how Jammu & Kashmir handles the stray dog crisis, the Government has constituted Union Territory–level and district-level committees to implement the Supreme Court’s recent directions on humane stray dog management.

The move follows the Supreme Court’s order in Suo Motu Writ Petition (C) No. 5 of 2025 titled “City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price” versus State of Andhra Pradesh, and has been formalised through Government Order No. 1497-JK(GAD) of 2025.

The UT-level committee, chaired by the Administrative Secretary of the Agriculture Production Department, has been mandated to ensure strict implementation of the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2023, read with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and all related rules and circulars. The committee will coordinate with various government departments to enforce the Supreme Court’s directions, particularly in areas where the presence of stray dogs poses risks to public safety.

The committee has been directed to identify all government and private educational institutions, hospitals, primary health centres, medical colleges, public sports complexes, stadiums, bus stands, depots, including railway stations, and similar sensitive premises across districts. Heads of these institutions have been asked to secure their premises with proper fencing, boundary walls, gates or administrative measures under the supervision of district and municipal authorities.

The Supreme Court has ordered the removal of stray dogs from such locations, and the J&K committee must ensure that every dog found within these premises is safely captured by municipal bodies and transported to designated shelters. The animals must undergo sterilisation and vaccination strictly under the Animal Birth Control (Dog) Rules, 2023.

Importantly, the Supreme Court has barred the release of these dogs back into the same institutional premises, and the committee has been asked to ensure full compliance. All capture, sterilisation, vaccination and sheltering processes must be carried out humanely.

The UT-level committee has also been asked to prepare a responsibility chart with clear timelines for all departments involved in the process. It will meet every three months to assess progress and ensure that no stray dog habitats exist within or around the identified institutions. In case of any lapse, responsibility will be fixed on the concerned officials.

Every district has been instructed to maintain a mandatory stock of anti-rabies vaccines and immunoglobulin to handle dog bite cases. The order also calls for regular awareness programmes to educate the public on preventive behaviour around animals. Adequate arrangements must be in place to ensure that dog bite protocols are strictly followed to safeguard lives.

District-level committees headed by the respective Deputy Commissioners have also been set up. These committees will oversee on-ground implementation and prepare compliance reports as sought by the Supreme Court.

The government’s latest action marks one of the most comprehensive and coordinated steps taken in J&K to address the stray dog issue, balancing public safety with humane treatment and legal mandates.