Kerala High Court suggests two or three panchayats may share one dog shelter, and warns against delay

29 October 2026

The Kerala High Court is watching how the State carries out the Supreme Court's directions on stray dogs. Hearing the matter, Justice A.K. Jayasankaran Nambiar and Justice Preeta A.K. said a local body that cannot find land of its own may join two or three panchayats and run one shelter between them. Public opposition is no excuse for not complying, the judges said, and a local body that fails may face contempt action in the Supreme Court. Dogs picked up from public places and given Animal Birth Control treatment must be let go again, as the Supreme Court directed, instead of being held in shelters. Two lawyers, Shruthi Bhat and Pooja Omanakuttan, were named amici curiae to watch compliance and send in reports from time to time. The High Court Registry was told to put together one consolidated compliance report for the Supreme Court by 6 November. The case follows the Supreme Court's own suo motu petition on stray dogs.