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Orders Monthly Compliance Reports from Local Bodies on Stray Dog Directions
The on Wednesday directed a to submit monthly compliance reports detailing how local bodies across the state are implementing the ’s directives on managing stray dogs. A Division Bench of Dr. Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Preeta A.K. issued the order while hearing a petition registered pursuant to the ’s judgment.
Monitoring After ’s Landmark Order
The case stems from the ’s directions in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 5 of 2025 (titled : City Hounded By Strays, Kids Pay Price v State of Andhra Pradesh ), which mandated all High Courts to monitor compliance with a slew of measures — including sterilisation, vaccination, creation of shelters, and protocols for dealing with rabid or aggressive dogs. In July, the took cognisance and impleaded over 1,200 local self-government institutions as respondents.
The state government subsequently issued three key instruments: a circular on communicating the ’s directives to all local bodies, a Government Order on laying down a for capturing stray dogs for and for dangerous animals, and another order on constituting a headed by the secretary.
Committee to Classify Compliance Status
During Wednesday’s hearing, the government placed these documents before the court. The bench noted that the had already been constituted and directed it to collect and tabulate compliance data from each local authority. The court prescribed a detailed format requiring the committee to report:
- Whether a has been formed within each local body
- Whether the directions in the circular have been complied with, partly complied with, or not complied with
- If partly complied, the extent of and reasons
- If not complied, the reasons for
- The number of dogs euthanised, if any
“The details shown in the Format above shall be collected and tabulated by the and filed before this Court by the 10th day of every month until further orders in this regard,” the bench ordered.
Accountability and Scrutiny of Local Bodies
The court emphasised that the committee’s reports are critical for ensuring ground-level implementation. “The Court cannot go and find out what is happening in each panchayat, so your reports are critical,” Justice Nambiar remarked. The bench stressed that if the committee identifies instances of without justifiable reasons, the concerned local authorities would be called before the court and action would be initiated against them.
During the hearing, the court separately questioned the on its arrangements for captured stray dogs. When the existing facility at Brahmapuram was discussed, Justice Nambiar urged the corporation to explore alternative premises, noting that the facility may not be sufficient to accommodate the number of dogs being caught across the city. He suggested identifying suitable locations away from residential areas, possibly near Willingdon Island.
Monthly Hearings and Next Steps
The court directed that the petition be listed at 1:45 PM on the third Thursday of every month, with the next hearing scheduled for . Municipal corporations, including Thiruvananthapuram and Kozhikode, were asked to obtain specific instructions on measures taken to manage stray dogs within their jurisdictions.
The order reinforces the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring that the ’s directives are implemented without delay or dilution, holding local bodies accountable through transparent and regular reporting.
