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On Thursday, India's Supreme Court reserved its judgment regarding the issue of stray dogs, having heard arguments from all states just a day prior. The court concluded the hearings after listening to detailed submissions from various stakeholders, including dog lovers, victims of dog bites, animal rights activists, and representatives from both central and state governments. Following the hearings, the Supreme Court instructed all parties to submit written arguments within a week.

The court expressed strong dissatisfaction with several states for their failure to implement necessary measures such as sterilizing stray dogs, establishing dog pounds, and removing dogs from educational and other institutional premises.

A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria remarked that the states were merely constructing 'air castles.' After reviewing the presentations regarding compliance with previous directives, the Supreme Court voiced its discontent, stating that the states were sharing fabricated stories. The court was particularly surprised by the data from Assam, which reported 166,000 dog bite incidents in 2024, questioning why there was only one dog center in the state. Furthermore, it highlighted that in January 2025 alone, 20,900 individuals were bitten by dogs, labeling this figure as alarming.

Amicus Curiae Gaurav Agarwal informed the court that Andhra Pradesh has 39 Animal Birth Control (ABC) centers, capable of sterilizing 1,619 dogs daily.

He suggested that the state should conduct an audit of existing facilities to ensure they are fully utilized and establish a timeline for setting up new ABC centers. Additionally, he recommended that the state seek assistance from relevant stakeholders to identify stray dogs.