The Supreme Court has ordered Delhi-NCR civic bodies to remove all stray dogs from residential areas and shift them to shelters, sparking a sharp divide between animal rights groups and public safety advocates.
With an estimated 10 lakh strays in the city, at least 2,000 shelters would be needed — but the MCD currently runs just 20 centres for short-term care. Building new shelters will require huge funds, land, and manpower, while dog-catching and feeding costs could run into hundreds of crores annually.
Delhi has recorded 26,000 dog bites and 49 rabies cases this year, prompting the court to stress public safety over sentiments. Animal rights groups like PETA call the order “cruel and impractical”, insisting sterilisation and vaccination remain the only effective solutions.
The civic bodies have eight weeks to submit their plan — but the infrastructure gap looms large.
