How Can India Resolve Its Stray Dog Crisis? Lessons From Netherlands

A video of a street dog blocking the path of a Lamborghini Huracan supercar on a Mumbai street is going viral on social media, amusing many people who have dubbed the canine "Dogesh" and calling him the "real boss of the roads." But, underneath the amusement lies a real issue of street dogs versus humans conflict that plagues Indian streets and makes them unsafe for pedestrians, especially children and the elderly. 

India has approximately 6.2 crore stray dogs, according to the State of Pet Homelessness Index of India, 2023. Between 2019 and 2022, a staggering 1.6 crore dog bite cases were reported in the country. The number remained alarmingly high in 2023 (30 lakh cases) and 2024 (21.95 lakh cases) as well, prompting anger and concern among citizens. India also accounts for 36 per cent of global rabies deaths, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) data, with the country witnessing 18,000-20,000 such cases annually. 

The increasingly escalating street dog menace has given an ironic turn to the old journalism maxim, "If a dog bites a man, it is not news; but if a man bites a dog, it is", with cases of canines muling both children and adults dominating the headlines.

Rules Around Animal Protection

India's legal framework for animal protection is governed by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules. ABC guidelines make a distinction between community dogs -- those living on the street or within a gated campus -- and pet dogs, making it harder for authorities to assign responsibility. 

For instance, in the case of pet dogs, they are treated as private property, so issues related to their vaccination and regulating their breeding become the responsibility of the pet parent. But, in the case of street dogs, the implementation of ABC's programmes--meant to sterilise and vaccinate stray dogs-- has become harder due to a lack of funds, personnel, and facilities at most municipalities. This makes it harder to control their population and reduce rabies risk. 

Feeding of stray dogs is also not regulated in India, giving way to the formation of territorial dog packs, especially near residential colonies. The lack of designated feeding areas often leads to conflict between residents and animal lovers, with the former wanting to chase them away while the latter wants to protect them. 

What Can India Do To Reduce Dog Menace

To tackle the problem of strays, India can take lessons from the Netherlands, which has reportedly been completely free of stray dogs and rabies for years-- that too without killing a single canine. The work started in the 1990s, when the European country introduced the 'Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, and Return' policy, along with other measures to promote animal welfare and responsible pet ownership. As part of the policy, dogs were collected by authorities, fixed, vaccinated, and even given a veterinary exam (and treatment, if necessary). The programme was government-funded and ensured that feral dog populations stopped growing. It also prevented the unnecessary killing of thousands of animals and the spread of diseases, which could harm both stray and pet dogs.

The other key measure by the government was imposing heavy taxes on purchases of pets from pet stores. This encouraged residents to adopt pets from the shelter instead, and it led to millions of formerly stray dogs being rescued. The country also introduced stricter laws against animal cruelty, including the abandonment of pets, which could lead to hefty fines or imprisonment up to three years. 

By implementing clearer rules and accountability, India can also promote the adoption of all dog breeds, while also alleviating harassment of both the canines and their lovers. It can also help in bringing down the population of street dogs.