New Delhi, India — India’s Supreme Court has issued a sweeping directive to authorities in the national capital and its surrounding suburbs to relocate all stray dogs from public streets to animal shelters within eight weeks. The ruling aims to tackle the “menace of dog bites leading to rabies,” a growing public health concern in Delhi and neighboring regions.
Delhi alone is estimated to host around one million stray dogs, with the suburban areas of Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram also witnessing significant increases in the stray dog population, according to municipal sources. India bears a disproportionate share of the global rabies burden, accounting for approximately 36% of rabies-related deaths worldwide, per the World Health Organization.
The court stressed the urgency of protecting vulnerable groups, particularly infants and young children, from falling victim to rabies. It emphasized that public confidence must be restored so people can move freely without fear of dog attacks.
As part of its directive, the court mandated the creation of multiple shelters across Delhi and its suburbs, each with the capacity to house at least 5,000 dogs. These facilities are required to be equipped with sterilization and vaccination services as well as surveillance through CCTV cameras. Notably, the court ruled that sterilized dogs should no longer be released back into public areas, overturning existing rules that mandated their return to the site of capture.
Authorities are also tasked with establishing a dedicated helpline within a week to report dog bites and suspected rabies cases.
However, animal welfare advocates have voiced strong reservations about the court’s ambitious timeline. Nilesh Bhanage, founder of PAWS, a leading Indian animal rights organization, described the directive as unrealistic. He highlighted that “most Indian cities currently do not have even 1% of the capacity needed to rehabilitate stray dogs in shelters.”
Bhanage urged authorities to focus on enforcing existing measures, including widespread vaccination, sterilization programs, and improved garbage management, to address the root causes of the stray dog population growth and rabies transmission.
Government data reveals that 3.7 million cases of dog bites were reported across India in 2024. Yet activists warn that the true scale of rabies-related fatalities remains unclear. The World Health Organization estimates India’s annual rabies deaths at between 18,000 and 20,000, a stark contrast to official figures submitted in parliament, which recorded 54 deaths in 2024, up slightly from 50 the previous year.
The Supreme Court’s ruling marks a significant step in addressing a longstanding public health issue in India’s urban centers but raises complex questions about balancing animal welfare with human safety.
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