Deliberation by highest court results in commanded mass capture of wandering canines throughout Delhi City
In a bid to combat the escalating rabies crisis in Delhi and its suburbs, the Supreme Court of India has issued a landmark order to remove tens of thousands of stray dogs within eight weeks.
The order comes amidst growing concerns over public safety, with Delhi reporting over 35,000 dog bite incidents in the first half of 2025 and 49 rabies cases as of July. The large stray dog population, estimated to be around 10 lakh (1 million), contributes significantly to these alarming figures.
The court's directives mandate the setting up of dedicated dog shelters with adequate staffing and CCTV, permanent sheltering of stray dogs, and the implementation of daily records of captured canines. Officials have also been instructed to publicize locations where anti-rabies vaccines are available and to establish a 24-hour helpline for reporting dog bites.
The Supreme Court's intervention follows a surge in dog bites and deadly attacks, particularly on children and the elderly, regularly reported in Delhi's media. The high rate of rabies deaths in India is exacerbated by a lack of sterilization programs, as evidenced by the over 37 lakh dog bite cases nationwide in 2024.
To address this issue, the court has emphasized the importance of catch-neuter-vaccinate-release (CNVR) programs, mass sterilisation drives, and anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) centers. In Delhi alone, about 65,000 dogs were sterilised and vaccinated between January and June 2025, with plans to sterilise nearly 98,000 dogs by December 2025.
However, the problem is compounded by insufficient or outdated data on stray dog populations, complicating planning for vaccines, shelters, and resources. The court has urged national bodies like the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) to improve data collection and analysis to better address the rabies crisis.
India, home to millions of stray dogs, accounts for more than a third of global rabies deaths, according to the World Health Organization. The court has warned of action against animal activists who obstruct the removal of dogs, emphasizing the need for a balance between public safety, animal welfare, and rabies prevention.
References:
- The Hindu
- India Today
- NDTV
- The Wire
- MCD Data
Stray dogs pose not only a threat to public safety, as demonstrated by the high number of dog bites and rabies cases in Delhi, but also impact mental health due to the stress and fear caused by their presence. It is crucial for mental-health-and-wellness initiatives to address these concerns, alongside scientific approaches such as catch-neuter-vaccinate-release programs, mass sterilization drives, and anti-rabies vaccination centers.
