The stray dog crisis in Delhi is not a new wound; it has been festering for years. Its severity can be measured not just in bites and barks but also in the fact that the Supreme Court had to step in twice to bring calm to the clamour of responsibilities, rights, and raw emotions of dog feeders and those who feel strays are a threat to their right to live with dignity.
To sum up SC’s intervention, in the modified order passed in August, the court mandated that the stray dogs must be returned to their areas after sterilisation, rabid and aggressive dogs should be put in shelters, and stray feeding must be done at designated areas only.
Bone of contention
People on both sides of the fence agree that India’s top court’s modified ruling solves some conflicts, but it also opens up many questions.
“The quality of vaccines and sterilisation drives is highly questionable. In our area, the number of dogs has gone up! A handful of people in our society want strays over the safety of all the humans here. What about our dignity? The biggest question that we have is where is the accountability when a dog bites someone? If we were to hold a vote in our residential society, those wanting to go stray-free would outnumber the dog feeders by far. So, who should have the authority on these matters?” asks a president of a Resident Welfare Association in Rohini, who wants to stay anonymous.
“People on both sides are suffering because dogs are relocated. Imagine, overnight you have 30 more dogs in your locality; you will be agitated. Dogs will be aggressive because they are scared. How do you define an aggressive dog? Will they also take into account the trigger for aggression? The Animal Birth Control centres in Delhi are in a dilapidated state. Do we have the infrastructure to shelter?” enquires animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi.
“If the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and other agencies involved in this work follow proper geotagging of dogs and track vaccination and sterilisation schedules through apps and paper trails, 90% of this problem will vanish. Right now, even the basic data of dog bites doesn’t reach the people who work on the ground. The lack of accountability, transparency and data is pathetic. When are we going to start making data public?” questions Ayesha Christina Benn, founder of Neighbourhood Woof, an agency empanelled with MCD.
“I am very happy with the scientific judgement of the Supreme Court. But how do we define an aggressive dog? Does any dog that barks or chases after become an aggressive dog? The only reason a dog becomes aggressive is when you throw it in a new area. People pay authorities to pick up dogs from their areas and throw them into poorer neighbourhoods. Naturally the dog will be scared to be in a new territory. If you wake up and now you suddenly have 30 more dogs, you will be agitated whether you love dogs or not. Why are we not ensuring that the dogs are released in the same area they are picked up from? The ABC centre is in a horrible state; dogs come back sicker. Why will they not be aggressive? They are in pain,” says Maneka Gandhi, former union minister and founder of animal rights NGO, People for Animals
Why are we not running sensitisation drives to educate people that not all dog bites are dangerous? Why are we not training people to handle strays? Why do we not have proper monitoring and tracking of strays, aggressive or not? Sick dogs become aggressive, but also dogs in packs and when triggered might become aggressive. According to dog science, strays are supposed to scavenge. When we feed them, their brains, metabolism, and behaviour might modify. One of the challenges in some areas is overfeeding by more than one feeder. In addition, they eat from garbage. And if there is a restaurant in the area, they feed from the garbage of the restaurant. This makes them aggressively territorial of that area. Aggressive dogs can be trained, too. Why aren’t we training RWAs and volunteers to do so?” asks Adnan Khan, dog behaviourist and founder of K9 School. Adnan has trained under UK’s Royal Family trainer, Harry Carter and at Police Dog Center, Holland.
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Questions the city is asking:
- How do you define an aggressive dog? Does every dog that bites or barks too much become aggressive? Does one take the trigger that led the dog to bite into account?
2. Who decides if a dog is ‘aggressive’ — a veterinarian, an RWA, a victim of a dog bite, dog feeders or the MCD officials?
3. What’s the protocol to be followed after an aggressive dog has been picked up? Right now there is no clear guidance on how the dog is to be treated — should it be euthanised, or observed, or trained and released back in its area?
4. Are shelters equipped for long-term training and rehabilitation?
5. Where will designated feeding areas be set up, and who approves them if dog feeders and those opposed to feeding reach a stalemate?
6. What penalties will feeders face if they provide food outside designated spots?
7. How much say will RWAs have in managing feeding zones and deciding on dog removal?
8. Who is to be held accountable if a stray bites?
9. Will MCD release public data showing sterilisation numbers, vaccination records, and feeding zone maps?
10. If dog attacks persist, will the Supreme Court revisit its ruling, possibly tightening of rules again?
Biting issues, quick actions: Immediate steps to tame Delhi’s stray dog crisis
Involve experts: MCD (or authorised NGOs) captures the dog once it’s reported or observed as aggressive. Ideally, aggression should be assessed by a veterinarian or behaviourist.
Once an aggressive dog has been captured, a veterinarian and dog behaviourist should be roped in to observe and train the dog.
Data transparency: MCD and other authorities must publish data on where dogs are captured and released, their journey, and sterilisation and vaccination dates, so volunteers and others can access records during emergencies or dog bites.
“It will help assess the severity of the situation, and medical help for the person and dog can be made available in a more informed manner. Everyone should follow the paper trail and fill out forms and upload pictures of every step of the operation,” suggests animal rights activist Ayesha Christina Benn.
Sensitisation drives: Adnan suggests raising awareness about what causes dog aggression, how to identify triggers, and how to handle aggressive dogs, while involving behaviourists for training. “People should be sensitised about what constitutes aggressive dogs. What are the triggers for a dog that make them aggressive?” says Adnan.
Feeding schedules: Dog feeders should establish a local schedule to feed strays, as overfeeding may impact their behaviour. “If there is a restaurant in the area, the dogs in that area will become more territorial. And if the feeders also keep feeding, it will make them more aggressive for their territory; therefore, better coordination among feeders is needed,” says Adnan.
Better infrastructure: “The Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres for stray dogs lack basic facilities and even basic hygiene,” points out Maneka. She stresses that ABC centres must be regularly inspected, with hygiene and staffing properly maintained.
Accountability: The MCD must be held accountable if the stray population goes up despite regular sterilisation drives.
If vaccine efficacy is doubtful, they should be replaced immediately.
Coordination: Several agencies, including the government health and veterinary departments, MCD, and NGOs, work on the stray dog issue. However, they operate in silos with little access to shared data, approvals, reports, or action status. This lack of coordination hampers effective policy implementation.