Senior animal rights activist and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi has condemned the Supreme Court’s order to relocate all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR into shelters within eight weeks, calling it an “angry and unrealistic judgment.”

Speaking to the press, Gandhi questioned the feasibility and financial viability of the plan, stating that there is not a single government-run shelter in Delhi. She estimated that housing 300,000 dogs would require 3,000 shelters, each equipped with essentials like drainage, water supply, kitchens, and watchmen, at a staggering cost of ₹15,000 crore. She added that feeding the impounded dogs would incur an additional weekly cost of ₹5 crore.

Gandhi warned that removing the dogs could do more harm than good—raising concerns of mass displacement, street battles between volunteers and authorities, and a potential influx of unsterilised strays from neighboring regions, drawn by food availability.

Animal welfare advocates and civic bodies have echoed these concerns, highlighting the mismatch between infrastructure capacity and the scale of the court’s directive. In Gurgaon alone, there are only 100 shelter slots for an estimated 50,000 stray dogs, underscoring the enormity of the challenge.

The Supreme Court’s order also raises legal contradictions with existing Animal Birth Control (ABC) regulations, which emphasize sterilisation, vaccination, and returning dogs to their communities—not relocation. Critics warn of ecological imbalances, including increased zoonotic risks and aggressive behaviour among displaced animals.

Delhi’s administration has pledged a structured rollout, but critics insist that the court’s timeline and expectations remain disconnected from administrative and humane realities.