Why Supreme Court's Stray Dog Order Is An Operational Nightmare

The Supreme Court's May 19 order allowing euthanasia of incurably-ill, rabid dogs has thrust India's raging stray dog crisis back into the national spotlight.

With over 37 lakh dog bite cases and nearly 20,000 rabies deaths reported annually, the top court has drawn a firm line: stray dogs must be removed from sensitive public spaces such as hospitals, schools, colleges, bus stands, and railway stations.

Yet, as India confronts this escalating emergency, NGOs, veterinarians, civic officials, and animal welfare activists warn that authorities are flying blind in a growing crisis.

Severe practical impediments - from outdated data to crippling infrastructure shortages - threaten to make large-scale implementation of the verdict extremely difficult.

Data Vacuum at the Heart of the Problem

Reliable numbers remain elusive.

Delhi's last official stray dog census dates back to 2009, pegging the population at 5.6-5.8 lakh. A 2019 Delhi Assembly panel estimated nearly 8 lakh, while current unofficial figures suggest around 10 lakh in the capital alone. No comprehensive, nationwide or even city-wide survey has been conducted in over 15 years.

"Without fresh surveys, how do we even identify priority areas or calculate the funds and manpower needed?" asked RT Sharma, veterinarian, who runs a Pet Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) in Masoodpur, near Vasant Kunj.

Shelters, Funds, and Manpower: The Crushing Shortfalls

Municipal bodies like the MCD run only about 20 ABC centres, built for short-term sterilisation and release, not long-term housing. Their combined capacity is a fraction of the lakhs of dogs that may need relocation. Overcrowding risks disease outbreaks and welfare violations.

Funding is precarious, with NGOs facing delayed reimbursements while bearing heavy costs for operations. Manpower shortages are acute. "Manpower is a problem, we need more people," acknowledged Dr Priyadarshani, ABC Head, NDMC, while noting several action plans are in the pipeline with a current focus on mass neutering.

Geeta Seshamani, Vice President of Friendicoes, stressed the need for uniform anti-rabies drives across cities, pointing out low budgets and lack of uniformity, especially in urban areas. She added that a violent dog in a group could be shifted to a shelter.

Operational Nightmares and the "Vacuum Effect"

Catching, transporting, sterilising, vaccinating, and monitoring dogs at scale is a logistical maze. Releasing sterilised dogs without them returning to prohibited zones, combined with the "vacuum effect" where new dogs quickly occupy vacated spaces, undermines long-term control.

Voices from the Frontlines

Maneka Gandhi, prominent animal rights activist and former Union Minister, sharply criticised the order's feasibility: "There are 780 districts, so 780 ABC centres should be set up. Now if even one is not being built, then what will happen? This is technically not feasible. The ABC centres that currently exist are of very substandard quality; they do not treat the animals with proper care. After performing sterilisation surgeries on the animals, they take them from affluent colonies and dump them into impoverished neighbourhoods. A dog that has already undergone sterilisation surgery will never bite anyone. So, if the ABC centres were established and operated correctly, everything would run smoothly".

Dr Vibha Tomar, Delhi-based veterinarian and founder of Oscar For Life, questioned the practicality: "Being a veterinarian, I see that relocating large numbers without adequate infrastructure is not a very practical decision... most dogs may not survive in such facilities."

She called for stronger focus on sustained sterilisation and vaccination drives.

The Path Forward

Stakeholders welcome the court's recognition of public safety but insist success depends on realistic timelines, dedicated budgets, fresh surveys, and collaborative execution. Dr Priyadarshani highlighted the need for widespread rabies awareness programmes.

Without urgent investment in data, infrastructure, manpower, and coordination, the verdict risks remaining a well-intentioned but difficult-to-enforce directive.