The Supreme Court of India has ordered authorities in Delhi and its suburbs to relocate all stray dogs from the streets to animal shelters.
The court expressed concern about the rising "menace of dog bites leading to rabies" and set an eight-week deadline for officials to complete the task.
The stray dog population in Delhi is estimated to be one million, with numbers increasing in suburban Noida, Ghaziabad, and Gurugram, according to municipal sources.
According to the World Health Organization, India has millions of stray dogs and is responsible for 36% of global rabies-related deaths.
"Infants and young children, not at any cost, should fall prey to rabies. The action should inspire confidence that they can move freely without fear of being bitten by stray dogs," the court was quoted as saying on Monday.
The court took up the case after receiving reports of an increase in dog bites in Delhi and other major cities.
The court ordered that multiple shelters be established throughout Delhi and its suburbs, with each capable of housing at least 5,000 dogs. These shelters should be outfitted with sterilization and vaccination facilities, as well as surveillance cameras.
Despite current rules requiring dogs to be returned to the capture site, the court ruled that sterilised dogs cannot be released in public areas.
It also directed that a helpline be established within a week to report dog bites and rabies cases.
Animal welfare organizations, on the other hand, have expressed deep concern about the court's directive. They said the court's timeline was unrealistic.
"Most Indian cities currently do not have even 1% of the capacity [needed] to rehabilitate stray dogs in shelters," stated Nilesh Bhanage, founder of PAWS, a well-known animal rights organization.
"If the court and the authorities actually want to end the menace, they should focus on strengthening the implementation of the existing regulations to control dog population and rabies -- they include vaccination, sterilisation, and efficient garbage management."
According to government data, there were 3.7 million reported cases of dog bites nationwide in 2024.
According to activists, the true number of deaths caused by rabies is unknown.
The World Health Organization states that the true burden of rabies in India is not fully known; although as per available information, it causes 18,000-20,000 deaths every year".
On the other hand, the Indian government submitted data to parliament indicating that 54 rabies deaths occurred in 2024, up from 50 in 2023.
