Supreme Court's Bold Move: States to Face Heavy Penalties for Dog-Bite Cases

Supreme Court Addresses Stray Dog Concerns

New Delhi: On Tuesday, the Supreme Court of India announced its intention to mandate that states provide substantial compensation for incidents involving dog bites, highlighting a significant concern regarding the ineffective enforcement of regulations concerning stray animals over the last five years.

A panel consisting of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria emphasized that even individuals who care for and feed stray dogs will be deemed 'responsible' and 'accountable' for any dog-bite occurrences.

"For each instance of a dog bite resulting in injury or death, particularly involving children or the elderly, we will require state governments to pay significant compensation, given their inaction on enforcing regulations in the past five years. Additionally, those who feed these stray dogs will also bear responsibility. If you truly care for these animals, why not bring them into your homes? Why allow them to roam freely, causing fear and harm?" Justice Nath remarked.

Justice Mehta echoed Justice Nath's sentiments, questioning, "Who should be held liable when a dog attacks a nine-year-old? Is it the organization that feeds them? Are we expected to ignore this issue?"

The Supreme Court was reviewing multiple petitions aimed at altering its previous order from November 7, 2025, which instructed authorities to remove stray animals from institutional areas and roadways.