Tracker · Updated October 2026
Is Dog Meat Banned in Nagaland? The 2020 Order, the 2023 Ruling and the 2026 Split Verdict, Date by Date
No. Dog meat is not effectively banned in Nagaland as of 11 October 2026. The state's 4 July 2020 ban was stayed after 144 days and quashed by the Gauhati High Court on 2 June 2023. On 22 April 2026 two appeal judges split 1-1, so the case awaits the Chief Justice. Meanwhile the 2023 ruling is generally understood to continue, the Morung Express reported.
Key findings
- Nagaland's cabinet-backed order of 4 July 2020 banned commercial import and trade of dogs, dog markets and sale of dog meat in markets and restaurants.
- The Gauhati High Court's Kohima Bench stayed the order on 25 November 2020, 144 days after it was issued.
- On 2 June 2023, after 1,063 days, a single judge quashed the order in a 34-page judgment in WP(C) 128 of 2020.
- The court held the Chief Secretary was not the competent authority under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
- On 22 April 2026, 1,055 days after that ruling, Justices Budi Habung and Robin Phukan split 1-1 on the appeals.
- FSSAI's 2011 food rules allow meat from five species, including domestic rabbits added in 2017, plus poultry and fish; dogs are not listed.
- The 2020 order cited IPC sections 428 and 429; since the BNS replaced the IPC on 1 July 2024, its Section 325 allows up to 5 years in jail.
- NCRB recorded zero PCA Act cases in Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur in 2024, against 9,039 nationally.
- Mizoram dropped dogs from its slaughter law in 2020, and Kolasib district barred dog meat at feasts in September 2023.
- We found no official or peer-reviewed estimate of how many dogs are traded or eaten in Nagaland.
Is dog meat banned in Nagaland right now?
Not in practice. The Nagaland government banned the commercial dog meat trade on 4 July 2020, but the order has not been enforceable since 25 November 2020. That day the Gauhati High Court's Kohima Bench stayed it.
A single judge then quashed the order on 2 June 2023. Animal welfare groups appealed, and on 22 April 2026 the two appeal judges disagreed. One dismissed the appeals and one allowed them.
The judges sent the matter to the Chief Justice for directions. The Morung Express reported that the 2023 ruling is generally understood to continue meanwhile. We found no report of a third-judge decision by 11 October 2026.
dogeats.in calculation from dates in the 2023 judgment, Nagaland DIPR, The Sentinel and The Morung Express. Last stage runs to 11 October 2026.
Show the numbers
| Label | days |
|---|---|
| Ban order to High Court stay | 144 days |
| Stay to single-judge ruling | 919 days |
| Ruling to appeal delay condoned | 75 days |
| Appeal to judgment reserved | 890 days |
| Reserved to split verdict | 90 days |
| Split verdict to 11 Oct 2026 | 172 days |
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The wider rule is also unsettled. Food safety rules list the animals that may be slaughtered for meat, and dogs are not on it. Courts in this case have split on whether that silence is a ban.
What happened in the Nagaland dog meat case, date by date?
The case runs through four judges' decisions over six years. The table lists each step with the source we used. Dates are as reported in the judgment or by the named outlet.
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 3 July 2020 | Chief Secretary Temjen Toy announces the state cabinet's decision to ban dog trade and dog meat sale | Morung Express (ANI), 3 July 2020 |
| 4 July 2020 | Notification CSO/CORRES-19/CAB/2017 issued; cabinet memorandum of the same date | 2023 judgment; Nagaland DIPR, 9 July 2020 |
| 20 July 2020 | Government reiterates the ban, citing FSSAI rules | Morung Express, 20 July 2020 |
| September 2020 | Three Kohima traders file writ petition, WP(C) 128 of 2020 | 2023 judgment; Morung Express |
| 25 November 2020 | Justice S Hukato Swu stays the order; the state had not filed a reply | Morung Express, 27 November 2020; The Sentinel |
| 28 February 2023 | Petition admitted for hearing | Morung Express, 21 March 2023 |
| 20 March 2023 | Justice Nelson Sailo declines to lift the stay; final hearing from 17 April | Morung Express, 21 March 2023 |
| 2 June 2023 | Justice Marli Vankung quashes the 4 July 2020 order | 2023 judgment |
| 16 August 2023 | Division Bench condones 90-day delay in the appeal by People for Animals and HSI/India; notices ordered | Morung Express, 17 August 2023 |
| 15 May 2024 | Two appeals tagged together; Akhil Bharat Krushi Go Seva Sangh joins | Morung Express, 20 May 2024 |
| 22 January 2025 | Division Bench fixes final hearing for 5 March 2025; state seeks time to file an affidavit | Morung Express, 26 January 2025 |
| 22 January 2026 | Division Bench reserves judgment | Morung Express, 25 April 2026 |
| 22 April 2026 | Split verdict: Justice Habung dismisses appeals, Justice Phukan allows them | Morung Express, 25 and 29 April 2026 |
| 11 October 2026 | No third-judge ruling found in our search | dogeats.in check |
The petitioners held an import and export permit from the Kohima Municipal Council dated 3 June 2020. The ban came 31 days later. The judgment records that they had sold dog meat for many years.
Why did the Gauhati High Court quash the dog meat ban in 2023?
The court gave two main reasons. The Chief Secretary was not the right authority, because Section 30 of the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 provides for a state Commissioner of Food Safety to enforce it. And the executive cannot curb a fundamental right without a law passed by the legislature.
Justice Marli Vankung also found that the Act gives FSSAI no power to issue prohibition orders. She noted that dog meat 'appears to be an accepted norm and food amongst the Nagas even in modern times'.
The ruling did not endorse how dogs were handled. The court said that even if sanitation standards were not met, remedial steps under the cruelty and penal laws were open to the state. It also asked the state to run awareness programmes.
| Question | Justice Budi Habung (appeals dismissed) | Justice Robin Phukan (appeals allowed) |
|---|---|---|
| Does leaving dogs off FSSAI's animal list ban dog meat? | No; the omission is not a statutory ban | Yes; listing some species excludes the rest |
| Was FSSAI's 2014 circular binding? | No statutory backing for a substantive prohibition | Not stated in the report we read |
| Who can ban a food article? | The Commissioner of Food Safety, not the Chief Secretary | Article 256 lets the state enforce central law by executive order |
| Is dog meat shown to be unsafe? | Noted a lack of scientific evidence that it is inherently unsafe | Right to trade is subject to public health limits |
| Does Article 371A protect the trade? | Not addressed in the report we read | Not attracted, as traders did not plead custom |
Both opinions are summarised from the Morung Express report of 29 April 2026, which quoted the judgment uploaded on the court's website. We could not open the written judgment ourselves.
Which animals does FSSAI allow for meat in India?
FSSAI's Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations, 2011 define 'animal' in Regulation 2.5.1(a). The list has four species groups, domestic rabbits, and poultry and fish. Dogs are not on it.
Rabbits were added by a notification dated 12 September 2017. The 2014 FSSAI circular and Nagaland's 2020 statement quote the older list without rabbits.
Whether the list is a ban on everything else is the legal question in Nagaland. FSSAI's 2014 circular said slaughter of other species is not permissible. The 2023 judgment found FSSAI had acted beyond its powers in saying so.
| Term in the regulation | Plain meaning | Since |
|---|---|---|
| Ovines | Sheep | 2011 |
| Caprines | Goats | 2011 |
| Suillines | Pigs | 2011 |
| Bovines | Cattle and buffalo | 2011 |
| Domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) | Farmed rabbits | 12 September 2017 notification |
| Poultry | Chicken, duck and other birds | 2011 |
| Fish | Fish | 2011 |
| Dogs | Not listed | Never listed |
What punishment did the Nagaland dog meat order threaten?
The order said violators could be punished under Sections 428 and 429 of the Indian Penal Code and Section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. Enforcement was given to district administrations, police, municipal bodies and the veterinary department.
Since 1 July 2024, Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita covers killing, poisoning or maiming any animal. It carries up to 5 years in jail, a fine, or both.
The cruelty law is far weaker. A first offence under Section 11 draws a fine of Rs 10 to Rs 50. A repeat within 3 years draws Rs 25 to Rs 100, up to 3 months in jail, or both.
Source: Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, Section 325 (Gazette, 25 December 2023); Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, Section 11(1). First PCA offence is fine only.
Show the numbers
| Label | months |
|---|---|
| BNS Section 325 (killing or maiming any animal) | 60 months |
| PCA Act Section 11, repeat offence within 3 years | 3 months |
| PCA Act Section 11, first offence | Fine only |
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| Law | Offence | Jail | Fine |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPC Sections 428 and 429 (cited in 2020) | Mischief by killing or maiming animals | IPC replaced by BNS from 1 July 2024 | See BNS 325 |
| BNS Section 325 | Killing, poisoning, maiming or rendering useless any animal | Up to 5 years | Fine, amount not fixed |
| PCA Act Section 11(1), first offence | Treating animals cruelly | None | Rs 10 to Rs 50 |
| PCA Act Section 11(1), repeat within 3 years | Treating animals cruelly | Up to 3 months | Rs 25 to Rs 100 |
The 2023 court said the ban could not stand, but that these cruelty and penal laws remain available. Our animal cruelty cases report covers how often they are used across India.
How often are animal cruelty cases filed in Nagaland and the Northeast?
Rarely. NCRB's Crime in India 2024 recorded zero cases under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur. Arunachal Pradesh recorded 1.
Assam recorded 262 cases, a rate of 0.72 per lakh people, above the national rate of 0.64. Tripura had 21, and Meghalaya and Sikkim 5 each. India's total was 9,039.
These counts cover all animals and all cruelty offences, not dog meat alone. They show how little the cruelty law is used in the hill states where the trade is reported.
Source: NCRB, Crime in India 2024, Table 1A.5 (SLL crimes, state-wise). All animals and all PCA Act offences.
Show the numbers
| Label | cases |
|---|---|
| Assam | 262 |
| Tripura | 21 |
| Meghalaya | 5 |
| Sikkim | 5 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 |
| Manipur | 0 |
| Mizoram | 0 |
| Nagaland | 0 |
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| State | PCA Act cases, 2024 | Rate per lakh people |
|---|---|---|
| Assam | 262 | 0.72 |
| Tripura | 21 | 0.50 |
| Sikkim | 5 | 0.71 |
| Meghalaya | 5 | 0.15 |
| Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | 0.06 |
| Manipur | 0 | 0.00 |
| Mizoram | 0 | 0.00 |
| Nagaland | 0 | 0.00 |
| All India | 9,039 | 0.64 |
Is dog meat banned in other Indian states?
No Indian law names dog meat as a banned food. The national position rests on the FSSAI list, which courts now read differently. Mizoram is the one state we found that changed its own law.
Mizoram amended its Animal Slaughter Act, 2013 to drop dogs from the animals allowed for slaughter, Deccan Herald reported on 25 March 2020. In September 2023, Kolasib's District Commissioner barred dog meat at feasts and gatherings, EastMojo reported.
We found no state-level order on dog meat in Manipur, Assam, Tripura or Arunachal Pradesh. That does not rule out district orders we could not trace.
| Place | Rule | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| All India | FSSAI Regulation 2.5.1(a) lists animals for meat; dogs not listed | In force; whether it bans unlisted animals is disputed in court | FSSAI compendium, 2022; 2023 judgment |
| Nagaland | 4 July 2020 order banning commercial dog trade and dog meat sale | Stayed 2020, quashed 2023, appeals split 2026 | 2023 judgment; Morung Express |
| Mizoram | 2020 amendment drops dogs from animals allowed for slaughter | In force | Deccan Herald, 25 March 2020 |
| Mizoram, Kolasib district | Dog meat barred at feasts and gatherings | Public notice, September 2023 | EastMojo, 13 September 2023 |
| Manipur, Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh | No state order found | Not applicable | dogeats.in search, October 2026 |
How many dogs are traded for meat in Nagaland?
Nobody knows from official data. We found no government count, no court finding and no peer-reviewed study that measures the trade in Nagaland or anywhere in India.
We searched PubMed on 11 October 2026 for dog meat studies in India and the Northeast. A search for 'dog meat' with India, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur or Assam returned zero papers. Eight papers mentioning dogs and Nagaland covered other topics.
Animal welfare groups publish their own estimates, but these are campaign figures that no official source confirms. We have left them out. The 2023 judgment records arguments about rabies and other disease risks, citing studies from China and Africa, not Nagaland.
The only recent numbers come from campaigners. On 9 July 2026, Deccan Herald reported Humane World for Animals India's statement that three Nagaland dog meat wholesalers had left the trade. The NGO said 30 women vendors had also switched to other work since 2025.
These are programme figures from an advocacy group, not a measure of trade size. The same report said a petition was pending in the Supreme Court; we found no Supreme Court record or other report confirming it.
- No NCRB, FSSAI, state government or court figure on the number of dogs traded.
- No peer-reviewed survey of dog meat consumption in Nagaland found in PubMed.
- Livestock census and NCRB data do not record dog meat or dog slaughter.
- For the wider picture of dogs in India, see our street dog population report.
If an official count appears, we will add it here. For rabies data across states, see our dog bite and rabies statistics.
Frequently asked questions
Is dog meat banned in Nagaland?
Not effectively. The 4 July 2020 ban was stayed on 25 November 2020 and quashed on 2 June 2023. Appeals ended in a 1-1 split on 22 April 2026, and one judge directed that the matter be placed before the Chief Justice. The 2023 ruling is understood to continue meanwhile.
Why was the Nagaland dog meat ban quashed?
The Gauhati High Court held on 2 June 2023 that the Chief Secretary was not the competent authority under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. It also held that the executive cannot restrict the trade without a law passed by the legislature.
Is dog meat legal in India?
No law names dog meat as banned, but FSSAI's 2011 regulations list the animals allowed for meat and dogs are not among them. Whether that amounts to a ban is disputed: two High Court judges disagreed on it in April 2026.
Which animals are allowed for meat under FSSAI rules?
Regulation 2.5.1(a) lists sheep, goats, pigs and cattle and buffalo, plus domestic rabbits since a notification of 12 September 2017. The definition also includes poultry and fish. Dogs are not listed.
What is the punishment for killing a dog in India?
Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, in force since 1 July 2024, allows up to 5 years in jail, a fine, or both for killing or maiming any animal. The PCA Act adds a fine of Rs 10 to Rs 50 for a first cruelty offence.
Who challenged the Nagaland dog meat ban?
Three Kohima traders filed the writ petition in September 2020, saying they held a Kohima Municipal Council permit dated 3 June 2020. People for Animals, Humane Society International/India and Akhil Bharat Krushi Go Seva Sangh appealed the 2023 ruling.
Has any other state banned dog meat?
Mizoram amended its Animal Slaughter Act in early 2020 to drop dogs from the animals allowed for slaughter, Deccan Herald reported in March 2020. Kolasib district in Mizoram barred dog meat at feasts in September 2023. We found no similar state order elsewhere.
How many dogs are eaten in Nagaland each year?
There is no official or peer-reviewed figure. Courts, NCRB and FSSAI have not counted the trade, and our PubMed search found no study measuring it. Campaign estimates exist but are unverified.
Methodology and limitations
We read the Gauhati High Court's 34-page judgment of 2 June 2023 in WP(C) 128 of 2020 in full, from the PDF published by LiveLaw. We read the Nagaland DIPR release of July 2020 and Morung Express reports from 2020 to April 2026 on each hearing. Morung Express and The Sentinel reports gave the November 2020 stay.
For the April 2026 split verdict we relied on the Morung Express reports of 25 and 29 April 2026, which quoted the judgment uploaded on the court's website. We could not open that written judgment ourselves.
Day counts are dogeats.in calculations between the reported dates, using 11 October 2026 as the end date. The FSSAI list comes from the regulator's compendium of the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations, version of 20 December 2022.
Penalties come from the Gazette text of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the PCA Act, 1960. NCRB figures come from Crime in India 2024, Table 1A.5, read from the Excel file. For trade size we searched PubMed and the parliamentary question index for 2025 and 2026 and found no figure.
Sources
- Gauhati High Court (Kohima Bench), Neizevolie Kuotsu and 2 Ors v State of Nagaland and 6 Ors, WP(C) 128 of 2020, judgment of 2 June 2023, Grounds for quashing; notification number and date; KMC permit; arguments
- The Morung Express, 29 April 2026: case heads to Chief Justice after split decision, Habung and Phukan reasoning; reference to Chief Justice
- Nagaland DIPR, State Government bans import and sale of dog meat, July 2020 (Cabinet Memorandum of 4 July 2020), Cabinet memorandum of 4 July 2020; penalties cited; enforcing agencies
- Also consulted: The Morung Express, 25 April 2026: split verdict, FSSAI, Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations 2011, compendium version 20 December 2022, NCRB, Crime in India 2024, Table 1A.5, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 (Gazette text, MHA), All India Radio News, 1 July 2024, Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 (text), The Morung Express, 27 November 2020: HC stays Nagaland Govt dog meat ban, The Morung Express, 21 March 2023, The Morung Express, 17 August 2023, The Morung Express, 20 May 2024, The Morung Express, 20 July 2020, Deccan Herald, 25 March 2020, EastMojo, 13 September 2023, The Morung Express (ANI), 3 July 2020, The Morung Express, 26 January 2025, Deccan Herald, 9 July 2026, The Sentinel: Gauhati High Court stays ban on dog meat, SCC Online report, 8 June 2023 (2023 SCC OnLine Gau 2070), LiveLaw report, 2023 LiveLaw (Gau) 65, PubMed searches, 11 October 2026, Lok Sabha question index, February 2025 to August 2026 (no question on dog meat found).
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