The Supreme Court on Thursday (January 29, 2026) reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas seeking modification of earlier orders in the stray dogs case.

A bench of justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta and N.V. Anjaria reserved its decision after hearing amicus curiae Gaurav Agarwal, who summarised the steps taken by states like Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The Bench also heard the counsel appearing for NHAI regarding compliance of the November 7, 2025 direction where the authority was directed to remove stray animals from National Highways and fencing of roads.

Supreme Court says States ‘building castles in the air’ on stray dog sterilisation

The top court asked the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to process the applications of NGOs seeking permission to animal shelters or animal birth control facilities.