Banned dog breeds in India: the 2024 list and its legal status
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
No dog breed is clearly banned across India as of 21 October 2026. The centre's letter of 12 March 2024 asked states to stop the import, breeding and sale of breeds such as the Pitbull Terrier and Rottweiler, but the Karnataka High Court quashed it on 10 April 2024 and the Delhi High Court set it aside on 16 April.
The Delhi order told the Centre to invite public objections before any fresh notification. Petym found no fresh notification. Some local rules still name the breeds: Gurugram's June 2026 order requires them to be registered, leashed and muzzled outside the home, without banning them.
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Is any dog breed banned in India right now?
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The letter | D.O. letter No. V-11/1/2024-Anlm_Dadf, 12 March 2024, from the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying to all States and UTs. | Municipal Corporation Gurugram |
| Basis | An expert committee chaired by the Animal Husbandry Commissioner identified the breeds as ferocious and dangerous for human life. | Municipal Corporation Gurugram |
| What it asked | No import, breeding or sale of the breeds, and no licences or permits for their sale, breeding or ownership from local bodies. | Animal Welfare Board of India |
| Who issued it | The Ministry, not AWBI: AWBI's public notice of 19 March 2024 says so and points queries to the Department. | Animal Welfare Board of India |
| Delhi High Court | Set aside on 16 April 2024 (W.P.(C) 4374/2024 and connected cases), with a direction to invite written objections before any fresh notification. | High Court of Delhi (order downloaded from the court's server, hosted by LiveLaw) |
| Karnataka High Court | Quashed on 10 April 2024 in Writ Petition No. 8409 of 2024, as the Delhi High Court's order records. | High Court of Delhi (order downloaded from the court's server, hosted by LiveLaw) |
| Status on 21 October 2026 | Unclear nationally: no fresh central notification found; some cities and states have their own breed rules. | Not stated |
What did the Delhi High Court do with the breed circular?
It set the circular aside after the Union's own lawyer agreed, and told the Centre to consult the public first.
Word for word
Keeping in view the aforesaid statement by learned counsel for Union of India, the impugned circular dated 12th March 2024 is set aside.
The Union's counsel admitted that "other than Government bodies, no private body was heard" before the circular was issued, though the government had told the court on 6 December 2023 that all stakeholders would be heard. The court directed a public notice in a national newspaper and on the Ministry's website inviting written objections within two weeks, to be decided "before issuing the final notification". It left the Karnataka judgment untouched and the parties' contentions open.
What has happened to the breed ban since March 2024?
A letter, a clarification, two High Court orders, and then local rules. Each entry cites its source; news reports are marked.
6 December 2023
In W.P.(C) 15673/2023 the government tells the Delhi High Court that all stakeholders will be heard before any order on dogs dangerous to human life. High Court of Delhi (order downloaded from the court's server, hosted by LiveLaw)
12 March 2024
The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying writes to all States and UTs listing breeds identified as ferocious by an expert committee. Municipal Corporation Gurugram
15 March 2024
News On AIR reports the letter, including that dogs already kept as pets should be sterilised to prevent further breeding (news report). News On AIR (All India Radio)news report
19 March 2024
AWBI issues a public notice: the letter was the Ministry's, not AWBI's, and local bodies were directed not to issue licences for the breeds. Animal Welfare Board of India
10 April 2024
The Karnataka High Court quashes the circular in Writ Petition No. 8409 of 2024. High Court of Delhi (order downloaded from the court's server, hosted by LiveLaw)
16 April 2024
The Delhi High Court sets the circular aside and orders a public consultation before any final notification. High Court of Delhi (order downloaded from the court's server, hosted by LiveLaw)
24 January (reported February 2025)
Scroll reports that the Union told the Bombay High Court it did not intend to act on the circular yet, and that the Calcutta High Court had also stayed it (news report). Scrollnews report
February to July 2025
Goa's Cabinet approves a ban on the sale, import and breeding of pit bulls and Rottweilers, then a 2025 Bill to give it legal backing (news reports; Petym could not confirm the law in force). The Goannews report
23 June 2026
Gurugram's MCG orders owners of the listed breeds to register them and use a leash, chain lead and muzzle outside the home. Municipal Corporation Gurugram
Which dog breeds were on the 2024 list?
The list as Gurugram's 2026 order reproduces it from the central letter. News reports called it 23 breeds; the order names 24 entries, and the Delhi High Court described the circular as covering "twenty-four dog breeds".
- Pitbull Terrier
- On the list, with American Staffordshire Terrier and American Bulldog. Municipal Corporation Gurugram
- Rottweiler
- On the list; also named in Goa's proposed ban (news). Municipal Corporation Gurugram
- Tosa Inu, Japanese Tosa, Akita
- Japanese breeds on the list; Tosa Inu and Japanese Tosa appear as separate entries. Municipal Corporation Gurugram
- Ovcharkas
- Central Asian, Caucasian and South Russian Shepherd Dogs. Municipal Corporation Gurugram
- Mastiff types
- Mastiffs (Boerbulls), Boerboel, Cane Corso, Fila Brasileiro, Dogo Argentino, Canario and Bandog. Municipal Corporation Gurugram
- Livestock guardian breeds
- Kangal, Tornjak, Sarplaninac, Akbash Dog and Moscow Guard Dog. Municipal Corporation Gurugram
- Others
- Rhodesian Ridgeback and Wolf Dogs, and "all mixed or cross-breeds thereof". Municipal Corporation Gurugram
So is the breed ban in force or not?
The honest answer is that it is unclear, and here is exactly what is and is not settled.
Settled: the circular of 12 March 2024 was set aside by the Delhi High Court on 16 April 2024 and quashed by the Karnataka High Court on 10 April 2024. A High Court order binds within its own state, so the circular cannot be enforced in Delhi or Karnataka on the strength of the 2024 letter.
Not settled: whether the Centre has since run the public consultation the Delhi High Court asked for and issued a fresh notification. Petym searched the Department's, AWBI's and the Gazette's sites and found no fresh breed notification up to 21 October 2026. The only later word on the Centre's position Petym found is a news report that it told the Bombay High Court on 24 January it did not intend to act on the circular yet.
Also not settled: what other states have done. Some local bodies have acted on their own. Gurugram's order of 23 June 2026 still quotes the 2024 letter, but it regulates the breeds rather than banning them, and Goa's government moved in 2025 to ban pit bulls and Rottweilers by state law, which Petym could not confirm had come into force. If you own or plan to buy one of these breeds, ask your corporation and your state's animal husbandry department what applies where you live.
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | Set aside by the High Court, 16 April 2024 | High Court of Delhi (order downloaded from the court's server, hosted by LiveLaw) |
| Karnataka | Quashed by the High Court, 10 April 2024 | High Court of Delhi (order downloaded from the court's server, hosted by LiveLaw) |
| West Bengal | Stayed by the Calcutta High Court (news report) | Scrollnews report |
| Maharashtra | Before the Bombay High Court; the Union said it did not intend to act yet (news report) | Scrollnews report |
| Gurugram | Breeds regulated, not banned: register, leash, chain lead and muzzle | Municipal Corporation Gurugram |
| Goa | State ban proposed in 2025; enactment not confirmed (news report) | The Goannews report |
What do people get wrong about the breed ban?
You may have read
AWBI banned 23 dog breeds.
Myth
What the sources say
AWBI's own public notice of 19 March 2024 says the letter "was not issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India but rather by the Ministry", and sends questions to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Animal Welfare Board of India
You may have read
If you own a Rottweiler, you must give it up.
Myth
What the sources say
Even the 2024 letter did not ask owners to give up dogs: News On AIR reported it asked for pets already kept to be sterilised. Abandoning a dog is itself an offence under the PCA Act. News On AIR (All India Radio)news report
You may have read
Gurugram has banned Pitbulls and Rottweilers.
Myth
What the sources say
MCG's June 2026 order requires owners of the listed breeds to register them and use a leash, chain lead and muzzle outside the home. It does not ban them. Municipal Corporation Gurugram
You may have read
The courts said the breeds are safe.
Myth
What the sources say
The Delhi High Court did not rule on the breeds at all. It set the circular aside because private stakeholders had not been heard, and left the government free to issue a fresh notification after objections. High Court of Delhi (order downloaded from the court's server, hosted by LiveLaw)
What it means for owners
If you have one of the listed breeds, keep it registered, controlled and sterilisation-checked, and never abandon it.
Register the dog where your city licenses dogs, and follow any breed rule your corporation adds. In Gurugram that means a leash, a chain lead and a muzzle outside the home, and the order warns that bites or negligent handling can lead to criminal proceedings under section 291 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Talk to your vet about sterilisation, which the 2024 letter asked for and which the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 make the owner of a pet dog responsible for. And plan for the dog's whole life: abandoning an animal without reasonable cause is cruelty under section 11(1)(i) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Before buying a puppy of a listed breed, check your state's current position and buy only from a breeder registered under the Dog Breeding and Marketing Rules, 2017, as BMC's 2025 guidelines advise.
What it means for sitters
A sitter caring for a listed breed follows the owner's local rule and the dog's own needs, not the breed's reputation.
Breed rules travel with the dog's location. A Petym sitter caring for a Rottweiler or a Cane Corso in Gurugram uses the leash, chain lead and muzzle the MCG order asks for on every walk, and carries the registration token.
Muzzles still follow AWBI's welfare rules: AWBI's 2022 guidelines say a muzzle must fit, must never be left on without supervision and is not a tool to stop barking, and prolonged or unsupervised use breaches sections 3 and 11(1)(a) of the PCA Act. The meet and greet is where the owner shows how the dog is used to its muzzle.
Large, strong dogs need a sitter who can handle them. Petym sets a pet limit for each sitter's home, and the meet and greet is the place to judge whether a sitter and a big dog are a safe match before the first booking.
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- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
Is the Pitbull banned in India in 2026?
- Not clearly. The central letter of 12 March 2024 that listed the Pitbull Terrier was set aside by the Delhi High Court and quashed by the Karnataka High Court in April 2024, and Petym found no fresh notification by 21 October 2026. Some local rules regulate the breed.
Is the Rottweiler banned in India?
- No national ban was in force that Petym could confirm on 21 October 2026. The Rottweiler was on the 2024 central list, which two High Courts struck down. Gurugram requires a leash, chain lead and muzzle for it, and Goa proposed a state ban in 2025.
Who issued the list of banned dog breeds?
- The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, by a letter of 12 March 2024 based on an expert committee chaired by the Animal Husbandry Commissioner. AWBI's public notice of 19 March 2024 says the letter was the Ministry's, not AWBI's.
Why did the Delhi High Court set the breed circular aside?
- Because no private stakeholders had been heard before it was issued, which the Union's counsel admitted, despite an earlier assurance to the court. The court directed a public notice inviting written objections within two weeks, to be decided before any final notification.
Do I have to give up my dog if it is on the 2024 list?
- No official text Petym found asks owners to give up their dogs. The 2024 letter, as reported, asked for existing pets to be sterilised, and abandoning a dog is an offence under the PCA Act. Follow your city's registration and leash rules.
Does Gurugram ban any dog breeds?
- No. MCG Gurugram's order of 23 June 2026 lists the breeds from the 2024 central letter and requires their owners to register them and use a leash, chain lead and muzzle outside the home, but it does not ban keeping them.
Keep reading
- Dog bite rules in IndiaOwner liability, BNS section 291 and first steps.
- Dog walking rules in publicLeash, muzzle and poop rules by city.
- Pet registration in IndiaWhich cities require a dog licence.
- Pet boarding and sitting licenceBreeding and pet shop rules explained.
- Gurugram dog registrationMCG's 2026 order and its breed rule.
- RottweilerCare, exercise and heat in India.
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Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources
- Municipal Corporation Gurugram: Office order on registration and control of pet dogs (23 June 2026) (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Public notice on news reports of a ban on dog breeds (19 March 2024) (opens in a new tab)
- High Court of Delhi (order downloaded from the court's server, hosted by LiveLaw): Sikander Singh Thakur v. Union of India, W.P.(C) 4374/2024 and connected matters, order of 16 April 2024 (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: Guidelines for the use of muzzles on dogs and care of community dogs (letter dated 16 August 2022) (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (Gazette of India copy on AWBI's site): Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023: G.S.R. 193(E), 10 March 2023 (opens in a new tab)
- Animal Welfare Board of India: The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, as amended in 1982 (AWBI's copy) (opens in a new tab)
Show all 11 sourcesShow fewer
- Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Veterinary Health Department: Guidelines with respect to pet and street dogs, feeders, RWAs, AOAs and public institutions (signed 20 March 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (Gazette copy on AWBI's site): Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Dog Breeding and Marketing) Rules, 2017: G.S.R. 496(E), 23 May 2017 (opens in a new tab)
- News On AIR (All India Radio): Central govt proposes ban on sale, breeding of ferocious dogs (15 March 2024) (opens in a new tab)
- Scroll: Goa to ban pit bulls, rottweilers (20 February 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- The Goan: Goa Cabinet clears Animal Breeding Bill 2025; proposes ban on pitbulls, rottweilers (9 July 2025) (opens in a new tab)