The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre to finalise a service dog SOP for persons with disabilities before the next hearing in the case, scheduled for 7 January. The proposed framework could establish how specially trained dogs are registered and identified while assisting disabled people in public spaces.
A bench of Justice Dinesh Mehta and Justice Aditi Chaudhary issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by the Dhananjay Sanjogta Foundation. The petition raised the absence of a standard operating procedure for the use of service and therapy animals by persons with disabilities in India.
During the hearing, lawyers representing the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying and the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities placed a draft SOP before the court. They told the bench that objections and suggestions had been invited from the public and other stakeholders, and that the document would be finalised soon.
The court expressed the expectation that the authorities would complete the process by the next hearing. The Centre also assured the bench that suggestions made during the proceedings would be conveyed to the relevant officials for consideration and possible inclusion in the SOP.
Among the proposals discussed was the creation of a register of service dogs. Each dog could be assigned a registration number, providing an administrative record for animals trained to assist persons with disabilities. The draft also suggested a distinct-coloured collar for service dogs so that security personnel and members of the public could identify them and understand that they are trained assistance animals.
The issue has wider implications for the ability of disabled people to move through public and institutional spaces. A service dog is specially trained to perform tasks linked to a handler’s disability or specific needs. Unlike a household pet, such an animal is trained to provide assistance as part of the person’s daily life.
The petition also links the issue to a separate legal challenge filed in 2024 against the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. That challenge alleged that the rules did not adequately address attacks by stray animals on persons with disabilities and could conflict with protections under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The petitioners said that people with visual disabilities may be unable to anticipate dangers while moving through public areas, limiting their mobility. They also pointed to the dependence of disabled people in other places on service and therapy animals, arguing that India currently lacks a comparable system for their use.
The proposed register, registration number and identifying collar would address recognition and administrative control, but the court proceedings also bring attention to the practical arrangements required when service dogs enter public buildings, transport facilities and other shared spaces. The supplied court report does not establish whether the final SOP will include detailed rules on access, training standards, certification, handlers or enforcement.
The Centre and the concerned departments are expected to consider the stakeholder feedback and finalise the draft before the matter returns to the Delhi High Court on 7 January. The court will then review the progress made on the proposed SOP.
