Standard operating procedures (SOP) for the mercy killing of stray dogs that are rabid, terminally ill, or clearly hazardous have been approved by the Keralan government. The recently authorized SOP is based on an order from the Supreme Court in May of this year that permits euthanasia in certain situations.
The task of determining whether mercy killing is necessary in a given situation will fall to a stray dog management committee that will be established in each local body.
According to the relevant sections of the Supreme Court’s decision dated May 19, 2026, “In areas where the population of stray dogs has assumed alarming proportions and where incidents of dog bites or aggressive attacks have become frequent and pose a continuing threat to public safety, the authorities concerned may, subject to due assessment by qualified veterinary experts and strictly in accordance with the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 and other applicable statutory protocols, take such measures as may be legally permissible, including euthanasia, in cases involving rabid, incurably ill or demonstrably aggressive dogs, so as to effectively curb the threat posed to human life and safety.”
The appropriate ward councilor, the local body’s veterinary and medical officers, the project-in-charge officer for the Animal Birth Control (ABC) center, and a representative of the Animal Welfare Board will all be part of the stray dog management committee, which will be led by the chairperson of the local body and convened by the secretary. A licensed veterinary surgeon should perform the mercy killing operation. The only intravenous medications that should be used are sodium pentobarbital or thiopental sodium. It is not advisable to employ any other chemicals or techniques that could be painful. Every local organization will be required to keep a separate registry to document instances of stray dog euthanasia.
Each such dog’s details, including the location from which it was captured, pictures, and the precise rationale for the euthanasia decision, will be recorded in the register.
When a dog is caught for euthanasia, it must be held in an ABC center or the isolation kennels of the local body for two to three days. During this time, the dog’s care can be claimed by authorized organizations or animal lovers. It is not appropriate to perform the mercy killing in front of other dogs.
The Supreme Court’s decision on the legal protection of the police performing the act is cited in the SOP. The officials are “entitled to due protection for acts performed by them in good faith and in bona fide discharge of their official duties and compliances carried out pursuant to the present order and the earlier orders passed by the Court,” according to the ruling. As a result, no criminal complaint, First Information Report, or coercive action should be taken against these officials.
The mercy killing of stray dogs in local bodies will be audited by the ABC Implementation and Monitoring Committee at the state level.
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