India walks back order to clear Delhi of stray dogs\” />
Delhi’s Supreme Court takes a softer bite on stray‑dog policy
The High Court in New Delhi decided last Friday to dial back its original, hard‑line order that called for rounding up tens of thousands of stray dogs from the capital. The rationale? The scale was too big to be tackled within eight weeks, and the approach was logistically awkward.
From “cure or kill” to “vaccinate and release”
- Initial mandate: capture all stray dogs within eight weeks, house them in shelters, and never release them into the wild.
- New ruling: Read the “release” mantra. Deployed after a thorough vaccination and neutering program, unless a dog shows a hint of rabies or behaves aggressively.
As the court issued the fresh order, proponents of animal rights threw their hands up in triumph.
Voices of relief
Sonali Kalra, 59, a local businesswoman, said, “Everyone’s crossing their fingers. People care for street dogs like they’re kin—but let’s be honest, 30‑million‑person Delhi can’t host every pup in a private home. So let’s focus on sterilisation.”
College activist Aanvi Singh, 20, added: “It’s a win! I’ll celebrate on the stroll, hand‑shaking with every wag‑waving dog I meet.”
Numbers that tickle the mind
- 2019 Census: 15 million stray dogs nationwide.
- 2024 Delhi Data: Over 25 000 reported dog bites in a 30‑million‑pop city.
- National Bite‑Fighting: 3.7 million dog bites last year.
- Rabies Toll: 54 human deaths in India (world’s largest contributor). No reported deaths in Delhi but a steady infant risk.
What’s happening on the streets?
In Delhi’s middle‑class neighborhoods, many stray dogs are beloved household extras, often sporting cozy jackets to survive winter snags. The lack of a comprehensive sterilisation campaign has agitated locals, who worry about bites—particularly to children and the elderly.
Thanks to the court’s softer stance, the city’s future looks a bit less like “dog‑culling drama” and a tad more like “dog‑cuddling a success.” As the activists raise their paws in celebration, the hope is that Delhi will finally strike the right balance between public safety and animal compassion—one vaccinated and neutered pup at a time.
