Controlling The Canine Count

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With over 60 million strays and rising cases of dog bites, cities are scrambling for solutions. Cities are turning to sterilisation drives, citizen-led care, and new bylaws to manage the streets. While some communities embrace co-existence, others raise alarms about safety. Between budgets, policies, and public trust, urban animal welfare is navigating a complex terrain. So how are cities balancing compassion with control?

To curb the increasing stray dog population, Bhubaneswar MC passed a bylaw encouraging residents to adopt stray dogs, but safety concerns have been raised by residents. Data from the Directorate of Health Services shows that in the last 5 years, 87,202 dog-bite cases have been reported in India, with over 60 million stray dogs.

The Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001, enacted under Section 38 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, mandate sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs to control their population, requiring support from animal welfare organisations, individuals, and local authorities.

Civic bodies play a crucial role in funding these programmes. The recent amendment of the act by the central government urges municipal corporations to jointly implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) and Anti Rabies Program, with the corporation’s budget playing a crucial role in funding. For example, Muzaffarnagar MC has allocated a fund of 1 crore for stray dog management.

To address complaints about stray dogs, several Municipal Corporations, including Surat, Vijayawada, Guntur, and Nagpur, have increased their capacity for vaccination and sterilisation programmes. In Berhampur and Rudrapur, residents have urged local authorities to expedite the implementation of the ABC programme to control the menace.

Sterilisation and vaccination are crucial for effective stray dog management, but these processes often face delays due to various issues. However, in Thiruvanmiyur, residents have successfully implemented a decentralised approach to caring for community dogs by forming a WhatsApp group. The group ensures the continued roles of adopting pups, alerting residents about sick canines, feeding strays, and sterilising dogs.

Similarly, in Greater Hyderabad MC, welfare organisations have been involved in awareness programmes to coordinate with citizen groups and elected representatives. Additionally, citizen groups in Goa have been actively feeding, rescuing, catching, and transporting stray dogs for sterilisation. This has resulted in the sterilisation of over 300 dogs, which highlights the need for better management of stray animals in cities.

Is your city implementing the ABC programme? To know more, read.