Stray canines on New Delhi streets must be eliminated according to India's highest judicial body's directive.
The Supreme Court of India has ordered authorities in New Delhi to remove all stray dogs from the streets and relocate them to shelters, aiming to control rising rabies cases and dog biting incidents, particularly those involving children [1]. This directive, which prioritizes public safety, contrasts with the previous Animal Birth Control (ABC) policy of sterilize-vaccinate-return [2].
The new policy, however, faces strong criticism from animal welfare organizations. These groups argue that the ABC program has controlled rabies effectively for years and that the new policy ignores the "vacuum effect" where removed dogs are rapidly replaced by new, unsterilized ones, potentially worsening aggression and disease spread [2][3]. They also express concerns about insufficient shelter facilities, which could lead to institutionalized cruelty and make large-scale permanent housing impractical and possibly cruel [2].
The Court's order directs the capital's civic bodies to immediately initiate the process of capturing 5,000 stray dogs from "high-risk areas" and send them to shelters equipped with adequate staff and CCTV surveillance within six to eight weeks [4]. Any individual or organization that prevents authorities from removing stray dogs from the streets will face "strict" legal consequences [4].
The implications for animal welfare organizations are significant. Many NGOs fear that the mass removal will lead to institutionalized cruelty due to insufficient shelter facilities and that the directive undermines decades of humane, scientific approach embedded in India's animal welfare laws [2][3]. Protests by activists and politicians highlight concerns about compassion and practicality, with calls for safer coexistence methods that balance public safety with animal welfare [2][3].
For the overall animal population in New Delhi, the directive might reduce immediate stray dog presence in public spaces but risks inadvertently increasing unvaccinated, aggressive dogs elsewhere due to displacement [2]. Without addressing systemic shelter capacity and sustainable population control, the directive may not effectively control rabies in the long term [2][4].
Rabies, caused by a virus that invades the central nervous system, is almost always fatal if left untreated [5]. According to official data, a total of 49 rabies cases were reported in New Delhi between January and June this year, and as many as 35,198 animal bite incidents were reported during the same period [6]. The Supreme Court has chided animal lovers and activists who opposed taking up the case, emphasizing the importance of protecting infants and young children from stray dogs [7].
The Supreme Court has also ordered the creation of an animal helpline within a week for reporting dog bite cases in New Delhi [8]. The order comes as rabies, a viral infection primarily transmitted through dog bites, claims nearly 60,000 lives every year, with India accounting for 36% of these deaths [9].
Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra stated that the court's order is a step towards freeing New Delhi "from the fear of rabies and stray animals" [10]. However, the order has been criticized by some as running contrary to global public health guidance, India's own laws, and humane, evidence-based practice [11]. Animal protection organizations have strongly opposed the Supreme Court's directive, calling it "impractical and inhumane" for healthy, vaccinated animals [11].
In summary, while well-intentioned, the effectiveness of the Supreme Court's directive in truly controlling rabies and its broader implications remain contested and dependent on implementation and resource adequacy. The directive aims to address the rising number of dog biting cases, particularly those involving children, but its impact on animal welfare and the long-term control of rabies remains uncertain.
References: 1. The Hindu 2. Indian Express 3. Firstpost 4. Live Law 5. CDC 6. NDTV 7. The Times of India 8. The Hindu 9. WHO 10. The Times of India 11. Indian Express
- The new policy, enforced by the Supreme Court, focuses on removing stray dogs from New Delhi's streets to combat rising rabies cases, contradicting the previous Animal Birth Control (ABC) policy.
- Animal welfare organizations have criticized the new policy, arguing that it overlooks the ABC program's effectiveness in controlling rabies for years and could contribute to the "vacuum effect," potentially worsening aggression and disease spread.
- The Court's order directs civic bodies to capture and relocate 5,000 stray dogs, withstrict legal consequences for anyone obstructing this process.
- Critics argue that the directive undermines decades of humane, scientific approach embedded in India's animal welfare laws, and fear that mass removals with insufficient shelter facilities could lead to institutionalized cruelty.
