Starting August 5, Delhi's civic body will launch a month-long drive to sterilise and vaccinate street dogs in 12 constituencies, aiming for 70-80% coverage. It's the right approach to solving the 'human-canine' conflict. Yet, the issue is often overshadowed by misplaced outrage and misguided remarks.
'Why don't you feed them in your house?' Supreme Court Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta had asked a dog-feeder while hearing the petitioner's plea on July 15 alleging harassment over the feeding of community dogs in Noida. '...Feed every dog in the community in your own house,' they added, after the petitioner pointed out that Greater Noida authorities had designated feeding spots, but Noida had not.
In 2024, India reported over 37 lakh dog bite cases and 54 suspected human rabies deaths. While there's no denying that human-canine conflict is rising, remarks such as the ones made by Nath and Mehta are unfortunate on many counts.
For starters, they reflect a narrow, anthropocentric framing of law and order, which, ironically, ends up failing humans too. Two, they go against the Constitution. And, three, they put feeders at risk, because most people in India cannot distinguish between a comment by a judge and a court order. Which is why the remarks by judges went viral, and are now being used to intimidate feeders.
There's no evidence to suggest that feeding a dog leads to dog bites. If anything, it keeps the animal calm and helps in catching them for vaccination or sterilisation. Feeding dogs is not illegal. Rule 20 of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023 assigns responsibility to RWAs, apartment owners' associations (AOAs) or local bodies to designate areas within the colony for feeding animals - and to do so at specified times only.
These measures are designed to ensure the safety of all. However, many associations and local authorities either fail to implement this at all, or when they do, they act without any understanding of the territorial and pack-based nature of dogs. Feeding spots are often marked randomly, without involving feeders. Many times, feeders are unreasonable too. Which is why regular dialogue and fine-tuning the process according to local requirements is so critical.
Instead of pitting feeders against others, there is an urgent need to reframe so-called 'dog menace' and shift the spotlight to the executive. Because the rise in dog bite cases - which few bother to examine contextually - is ultimately a policy-governance and funding failure. Courts - including the Supreme Court, which has in the past upheld the rights of dog feeders - should direct their questions to authorities.
Do municipalities carry out an annual census to determine local numbers?
What is the implementation status of ABC programme?
How often does each state carry out sterilisation?
How many dogs are earmarked, and how many actually sterilised?
What kind of veterinary infrastructure exists to support these efforts?
It is well known that there is a wide gap between dog sterilisation numbers on paper and what's happening on the ground. Failure is institutional. But it's feeders who are taking the fall.
In fact, executive inaction was laid bare in Parliament on April 1. Referring to dog bite numbers, Union minister S P Singh Baghel conceded on July 22 that GoI has not conducted any formal assessment of the ABC programme's 'effectiveness'.
The programme does have mandated provisions - including ABC Project Recognition for each initiative, and the constitution of monitoring and implementation committees at the central, state and local levels. But its impact varies from one region to another, Baghel added, because of 'implementation challenges'.
Sterilisation is the only humane and sustainable way to reduce the number of dogs on streets. There's proof that it works.
Since 2016, Nagar Nigam Dehradun has partnered with Humane World for Animals India to conduct spay/neuter surgeries and anti-rabies vaccinations. To date, over 85% of the street dog population has been covered. A biannual survey has recorded 40% reduction in dog density.
In Pune, Corpawrate, an NGO led by young professionals, partners with SEZs and corporate campuses to ensure a conflict-free environment for employees and resident dogs. Their approach: daily feeding, annual vaccinations and sterilisation. They begin with a dog census, train security staff as a 'canine care team', and recruit campus volunteers to implement ABC. Corpawrate happens to be the official canine care and control partner of Embassy Office Parks REIT, India's largest listed real estate investment trust, in Pune.
Internationally, the Netherlands became the first country with no stray dogs. Instead of culling, it offered free, nationwide neutering, enacted strict animal welfare laws with steep penalties, and created a dedicated animal police force.
India will never solve its stray dog issue by hounding the very people trying to help and using their own funds for feeding and sterilising, a job of the state. Feeders are not the problem - failed implementation of ABC is. The real menace is not on the streets. It's in the complacency of those in charge.
Until the sterilisation programme is treated not as a checkbox exercise - or a money-making racket - but as a core public health responsibility, nothing will change. The current failure is not just a policy misstep, it's also betrayal of public trust and misuse of funds earmarked for community well-being.
'Why don't you feed them in your house?' Supreme Court Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta had asked a dog-feeder while hearing the petitioner's plea on July 15 alleging harassment over the feeding of community dogs in Noida. '...Feed every dog in the community in your own house,' they added, after the petitioner pointed out that Greater Noida authorities had designated feeding spots, but Noida had not.
In 2024, India reported over 37 lakh dog bite cases and 54 suspected human rabies deaths. While there's no denying that human-canine conflict is rising, remarks such as the ones made by Nath and Mehta are unfortunate on many counts.
For starters, they reflect a narrow, anthropocentric framing of law and order, which, ironically, ends up failing humans too. Two, they go against the Constitution. And, three, they put feeders at risk, because most people in India cannot distinguish between a comment by a judge and a court order. Which is why the remarks by judges went viral, and are now being used to intimidate feeders.
There's no evidence to suggest that feeding a dog leads to dog bites. If anything, it keeps the animal calm and helps in catching them for vaccination or sterilisation. Feeding dogs is not illegal. Rule 20 of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023 assigns responsibility to RWAs, apartment owners' associations (AOAs) or local bodies to designate areas within the colony for feeding animals - and to do so at specified times only.
These measures are designed to ensure the safety of all. However, many associations and local authorities either fail to implement this at all, or when they do, they act without any understanding of the territorial and pack-based nature of dogs. Feeding spots are often marked randomly, without involving feeders. Many times, feeders are unreasonable too. Which is why regular dialogue and fine-tuning the process according to local requirements is so critical.
Instead of pitting feeders against others, there is an urgent need to reframe so-called 'dog menace' and shift the spotlight to the executive. Because the rise in dog bite cases - which few bother to examine contextually - is ultimately a policy-governance and funding failure. Courts - including the Supreme Court, which has in the past upheld the rights of dog feeders - should direct their questions to authorities.
Do municipalities carry out an annual census to determine local numbers?
What is the implementation status of ABC programme?
How often does each state carry out sterilisation?
How many dogs are earmarked, and how many actually sterilised?
What kind of veterinary infrastructure exists to support these efforts?
It is well known that there is a wide gap between dog sterilisation numbers on paper and what's happening on the ground. Failure is institutional. But it's feeders who are taking the fall.
In fact, executive inaction was laid bare in Parliament on April 1. Referring to dog bite numbers, Union minister S P Singh Baghel conceded on July 22 that GoI has not conducted any formal assessment of the ABC programme's 'effectiveness'.
The programme does have mandated provisions - including ABC Project Recognition for each initiative, and the constitution of monitoring and implementation committees at the central, state and local levels. But its impact varies from one region to another, Baghel added, because of 'implementation challenges'.
Sterilisation is the only humane and sustainable way to reduce the number of dogs on streets. There's proof that it works.
Since 2016, Nagar Nigam Dehradun has partnered with Humane World for Animals India to conduct spay/neuter surgeries and anti-rabies vaccinations. To date, over 85% of the street dog population has been covered. A biannual survey has recorded 40% reduction in dog density.
In Pune, Corpawrate, an NGO led by young professionals, partners with SEZs and corporate campuses to ensure a conflict-free environment for employees and resident dogs. Their approach: daily feeding, annual vaccinations and sterilisation. They begin with a dog census, train security staff as a 'canine care team', and recruit campus volunteers to implement ABC. Corpawrate happens to be the official canine care and control partner of Embassy Office Parks REIT, India's largest listed real estate investment trust, in Pune.
Internationally, the Netherlands became the first country with no stray dogs. Instead of culling, it offered free, nationwide neutering, enacted strict animal welfare laws with steep penalties, and created a dedicated animal police force.
India will never solve its stray dog issue by hounding the very people trying to help and using their own funds for feeding and sterilising, a job of the state. Feeders are not the problem - failed implementation of ABC is. The real menace is not on the streets. It's in the complacency of those in charge.
Until the sterilisation programme is treated not as a checkbox exercise - or a money-making racket - but as a core public health responsibility, nothing will change. The current failure is not just a policy misstep, it's also betrayal of public trust and misuse of funds earmarked for community well-being.
KumKum Dasgupta