In a landmark ruling, India's Supreme Court has mandated Delhi and its surrounding suburbs to remove stray dogs from public spaces and relocate them to animal shelters within an eight-week timeframe. This decision comes in response to alarming reports of dog bites and associated rabies risk, which has reportedly prompted the court's intervention.
The estimate of stray dogs in Delhi stands at approximately one million, with other regions like Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram also experiencing a rise in their stray dog populations. Official reports indicate that India grapples with millions of stray dogs, accounting for 36% of the global deaths related to rabies, according to the World Health Organization.
"As a priority, infants and small children must be protected from rabies," the court emphasized, highlighting the urgent need for public safety measures. It went on to state that necessary actions would bolster public confidence, allowing individuals to navigate the streets without fear of dog bites.
To facilitate this initiative, the court decreed the establishment of multiple shelters across the region, each with the capacity to accommodate at least 5,000 dogs, equipped with sterilization and vaccination facilities alongside surveillance systems. Furthermore, the court ruled against the release of sterilized dogs back into public spaces, in contrast to existing protocols. A helpline is also to be set up within a week for reporting dog bites and rabies incidents.
Contrarily, animal rights advocates have expressed significant concerns regarding the practicability of the court's ruling. Nilesh Bhanage, founder of the organization PAWS, criticized the timeline as unrealistic, arguing that many cities are ill-equipped to handle even 1% of the ongoing needs for stray dog rehabilitation. He emphasized that effective policies exist for managing dog populations - including vaccination, sterilization, and proper waste management - which should be prioritized.
In a broader context, the Indian government reported over 3.7 million instances of dog bites nationwide in 2024 alone. The true numbers of rabies-related fatalities remain uncertain, with indications suggesting yearly deaths could range from 18,000-20,000, in contrast to a reported 54 rabies-related deaths recorded by the government in 2024, slightly up from 50 in 2023.
This developing situation has sparked dialogues on social media and public forums regarding the balance between public safety and animal welfare, amplifying calls for coherent policies that address both concerns.
