India’s Supreme Court on Friday modified its 11 August directive that had ordered the permanent relocation of stray dogs in Delhi and its suburbs to shelters. Under the new ruling, dogs must be captured, sterilised and immunised before being released to the neighbourhoods from which they were picked up. Animals showing signs of rabies or aggressive behaviour are to remain in shelters. The three-judge bench also barred public feeding of strays, instructing municipal bodies to establish dedicated feeding zones and warning of legal action against violators. All stray-dog cases pending before other courts will be transferred to the bench so that it can frame a uniform national policy. The reversal follows protests from animal-welfare organisations and concerns over the feasibility of housing Delhi’s estimated one million strays. Nationwide, India hosts about 52.5 million stray dogs. Government data show roughly 430,000 dog-bite incidents were recorded in January 2025 alone, after 3.7 million cases in all of 2024. Civic agencies, including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, have been told to step up sterilisation and vaccination drives. The court will review compliance in future hearings, while political leaders and animal-rights advocates across parties have welcomed what they call a more practical, science-based approach.