India’s approach to managing its stray dog population is developing. With an estimated 20 million free-free dogs, the challenge is real-but therefore progress. The recent Supreme Court’s recent issues started by the recent media reports of the Supreme Court have ruled the public discourse. But this moment does not require spiral in fear-propelled policy. Instead, it can be a axis towards scaling the human, evidence-based solutions are already showing results.ABC rules are working in human, legal and pockets: Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023 mandate sterilization, vaccination, and leave stray dogs back into their areas. This model is not only kind – it is scientifically valid and rapidly effective where it is well applied.
- In Mumbai, more than 4.3 million dogs have been sterilized. The BMC claims a decrease in stray population from 95,172 to 90,757.
- In Bengaluru, a study showed a decrease of 10% in the stray dog population, with a 20% increase in nutrition rates.
- In Nagpur, about 40,000 dogs were sterilized in about 21 months, an average of 64 procedures per day.
These figures suggest that ABC does the right thing – with trained personnel, infrastructure and community support.Why Culling is a step backward: calls for Kalinga often arise from frustration, but evidence suggests that it is republic:
- Removing dogs creates a vacuum effect, which invites untouchables, unwanted dogs.
- Sterils protect their area, prevent new entry and stabilize the population.
- Rabies transmission decreases when vaccinated dogs live in their habitat.
India’s legal framework already allows euthanasia to sick or dangerous dogs, but expands this definition at risk of legal abuse and moral violations.Implementation intervals still exist: Despite success stories, challenges remain:
- Many municipalities lack trained staff and shelter infrastructure.
- Since 2021, money has declined for ABC programs.
- In slum areas, sterilization efforts are often detected, decreasing data and results.
But these are problems worth recovering, not due to leaving human policy.Global models strengthen India’s route: countries like Thailand, Bhutan and Netherlands have shown that nutr-vasinet-return strategies can eliminate rabies and reduce stray population-of the pen.
- Bhutan acquired 100% Street Dog Sterilization and Vaccination in 14 years.
- The Netherlands eliminated stray dogs through the government-funded CNVR programs, anti-strict laws and adoption incentives by the government.
India’s ABC rules align with these models – it’s time to scale them, not to sideline them.A call for human acceleration: The Supreme Court’s intervention should be a catalyst for improvement, not for regression. A human roadmap includes:
- Mobile sterilization units in high phenomenon areas
- Compulsory dog census and vaccination audit
- Public education to reduce fear and promote co -existence
- Community Adoption and feeding protocol
- Restored grants related to central funding and performance
Making the story again: This is not a fugitive crisis – this is a governance challenge with proven solutions. Let’s move the conversation from fear to fact-based optimism, and from conflict to compassionate improvement.
