A new three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Justice Vikram Nath, will hear the high-profile case related to stray dogs on August 14, 2025. The bench also includes Justices Sandeep Mehta and NV Anjaria.

The case, titled In Re: “City Hounded by Strays, Kids Pay Price”, comes just days after another bench expressed serious concern over the growing menace of stray dog attacks. On August 11, a bench comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan had called the situation “extremely grim,” noting the rise in dog bites leading to rabies.

In its previous order, the court directed that all stray dogs in Delhi and the NCR be rounded up within eight weeks and housed in dedicated dog shelters to be established by civic authorities. The court also made it clear that captured animals should not be released back on the streets, sparking criticism from animal rights groups.

Earlier today, Chief Justice of India B R Gavai acknowledged a plea filed by the Conference for Human Rights (India), seeking urgent intervention in the matter. The plea was mentioned before a bench led by the CJI and Justice K Vinod Chandran. The CJI remarked that another bench had already passed an order, adding, “I will look into it.”

The lawyer who mentioned the plea referred to a May 2024 order by Justice J K Maheshwari, where petitions related to stray dogs were sent to the respective high courts. However, given the urgency of recent incidents, the issue has returned to the apex court for fresh consideration.