The Supreme Court on Thursday pressed authorities for answers over reports of stray dogs being rounded up in parts of Delhi even before a controversial removal order was made public.

A three-judge bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath, Justice Sandeep Mehta, and Justice N V Anjaria took up petitions challenging the earlier directive, which had triggered protests and outrage among animal welfare groups. The matter came under fresh scrutiny after widespread concerns about both the legality and timing of the removals.

The case stems from an August 11 order by a two-judge bench of Justice J B Pardiwala and Justice R Mahadevan, which directed authorities in Delhi-NCR to begin relocating all stray dogs from residential areas to designated shelters “at the earliest.” The order also mandated the creation of new dog shelters within eight weeks and required officials to report progress to the court.

The August 11 decision was part of a suo motu case initiated on July 28, following a spate of dog bite incidents in the capital—many of them involving children—and concerns over the spread of rabies. The court had made it clear that once the animals were taken to shelters, they were not to be released back into streets, colonies, or public places.

However, today’s hearing revealed a puzzling twist: how did removal drives begin before the order was publicly available? That question now lies at the heart of the ongoing legal battle—one that has drawn sharp lines between public safety concerns and animal rights advocacy.