NGOs and Vets Join Delhi’s Massive Stray Dog Campaign as They Track Aggressive and Vaccinated Dogs

The Supreme Court has provided greater reprieve to the stray dogs that call the streets of Delhi home. The state has launched a mass sterilisation and vaccination drive for stray dogs, days after changes were made to the original Supreme Court order. The campaign follows the ABC( Animal Birth Control) model and aims to balance public safety with animal welfare. 

Supreme Court’s New Directions for Stray Dog Sterilisation

The Supreme Court recently changed its earlier order on stray dogs. It ruled that dogs must be sterilised, dewormed, vaccinated, and then released back into their own areas. Only dogs with rabies or those showing aggressive behaviour will be kept in shelters.

To support this, the court also banned feeding stray dogs on public roads. Instead, municipalities must create proper feeding zones and set up helplines for complaints and tracking.

Delhi Stray Dog Campaign and Model Approach

In Delhi, 24 out of 78 government veterinary hospitals will now act as sterilisation and vaccination centres. The city has nearly 8,00,000 stray dogs, making the campaign one of the largest in the country.

The drive will follow the “Lucknow model” of stray dog care, which has been praised for being humane and effective. The model is simple: capture, sterilise, vaccinate, and release the dogs. The Supreme Court has also recognised this model as the national benchmark for managing stray dogs.

The campaign will also have NGOs, private vets, and volunteers taking part. Aggressive dogs will get red tags, while QR code collars may be used to track vaccination details. Education programmes are also being planned to spread awareness among citizens and animal lovers.

The scale of the challenge is clear: Delhi houses an estimated 8,00,000 stray dogs. The campaign emphasises humane methods, improved monitoring, and public safety. 

The challenge is huge because of Delhi’s large stray population, but officials believe this system will help reduce rabies cases and improve public safety. It will also improve the treatment of stray dogs and set a strong example for other cities.

This campaign is not only about controlling numbers. It also marks the beginning of a national effort to create a uniform, humane, and scientific policy for stray dog management across India.