India's Supreme Court has ordered the immediate removal of thousands of stray dogs from the Delhi capital region, citing attacks on children and the country's high rabies toll. The ruling, issued on Monday, directs civic authorities to capture all strays, sterilise and vaccinate them, and relocate them to newly built shelters within eight weeks.
The court emphasised the need for swift action, with Justice JB Pardiwala stating that children and the elderly must feel safe. The order overrides existing animal birth control rules that require sterilised dogs to be returned to their territories, which the judge dismissed as 'absurd'. Anyone resisting the removals could face charges.
Stray dog control has become a divisive issue in Delhi. While some residents view the dogs as a menace, others consider them part of the community. Protesters, including community feeders, held a candlelight march on Monday night against the ruling, arguing that the dogs cannot be uprooted from their homes.
India has the highest rabies burden globally, with government figures showing about 5,700 deaths annually, though the World Health Organization estimates up to 20,000. Delhi reported 35,198 animal bite incidents and 49 rabies cases between January and June this year. The city's stray dog population is estimated at nearly one million, up from 60,000 in 2012.
Animal protection groups have criticised the order as 'impractical and inhumane', urging large-scale sterilisation and vaccination instead. Peta India noted the infeasibility of building shelters for hundreds of thousands of dogs at huge cost.
