New Delhi, January 13: The Supreme Court has cautioned that states may soon face heavy compensation liabilities in dog bite cases.

A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and NV Anjaria held that civic bodies and individuals who feed stray dogs could be strictly liable for injuries or deaths caused by dog attacks.

Reviewing compliance with earlier orders, the Court directed authorities to remove stray dogs from public institutions and strengthen sterilisation and vaccination drives. Criticising municipal bodies for failing to curb rising dog bite incidents, the bench said those worried about strays should adopt them instead of letting them roam freely.

The judges also questioned why society incentivises adopting stray dogs while ignoring orphaned children. Highlighting that victims often lack adequate representation, the bench stressed that dog bites can leave lifelong impacts and raised concerns about accountability when attacks occur near areas where organisations feed dogs.

The Court reiterated its intention to impose strict liability and heavy compensation on states and to hold feeders accountable for damages.