The Madras High Court has ordered Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to submit reports within four weeks detailing their efforts to curb the stray dog population and ensure public safety.
The court, taking up the matter as a public interest litigation, has asked both governments to provide information on animal birth control centers, veterinarians, sterilization drives, and adoption mechanisms.
The court also sought details on steps taken to remove stray dogs from public places, creation of helpline numbers, and measures to make school premises stray-dog-free.
This follows a Supreme Court order expressing concern over the growing stray dog population and its impact on public safety, citing alarming statistics from Tamil Nadu, including 263,000 dog-bite cases and 17 deaths in 2025.
