India, May 20 -- The Supreme Court's refusal on Tuesday to modify its November 2025 directions on stray dog removal drew sharp criticism from animal rights activists, while school and college heads said the order left them in a difficult position, with campuses already divided on the issue.

The court upheld its November 2025 directions ordering stray dogs removed from schools, hospitals, sports complexes and transport hubs, and ruled that sterilised dogs cannot be re-released into these spaces - rejecting arguments that Rule 11(19) of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which requires sterilised dogs to be returned to their original locality, compelled otherwise. It also endorsed existing legal provisions permitting euthanasia of rabid...