Madras High Court takes up suo motu PIL on stray dogs after Supreme Court orders

Direct fact

In June 2026, the Madras High Court took up a suo motu PIL to ensure strict implementation in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry of the Supreme Court’s 19.05.2026 orders on stray dogs, after the Court noted 2.63 lakh dog bites and 17 deaths in Tamil Nadu in the first four months of 2026.

Key specifics

• The Supreme Court Bench on 19 May 2026 comprised Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria.
• The Court noted 6.25 lakh dog bite cases and 34 deaths in Tamil Nadu in 2025.
• The Animal Birth Control (ABC) framework was formulated in 2001, and the Court said States and UTs had failed to implement it effectively for two decades.
• The Court said dogs picked up from educational institutions, hospitals, sports complexes, bus stands and railway stations should be transferred only to animal shelters.
• The Animal Welfare Board of India issued an SOP on 27 November 2025, expanding “institutional premises” to include religious places, parks, tourist sites and recreational areas.

Exam lens

Polity and governance question: match the date, the Supreme Court judges, the ABC framework year, and the institutional premises definition; TNPSC may ask how stray-dog control was linked to public safety.