Why Delhi’s Stray Dog Problem Is a Governance Failure

• Post by: Arjun Kumar
• June 4, 2026
• No Comment

Jahnvi Borgohain ^[1]

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^[1] Consultant, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. jahnviborgohain@gmail.com

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Title:	Why Delhi’s Stray Dog Problem Is a Governance Failure
Author(s):	Jahnvi Borgohain
Keywords:	Municipal Governance, Animal Welfare, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD)
Issue Date:	6 June 2026
Publisher:	IMPRI Impact and Policy Research Institute
Abstract:	On a warm evening in Delhi’s Lodhi Garden, what began as an ordinary cultural outing turned into one of the most haunting lessons of my life. A friend and I had gone there for an open-air lecture, looking forward to a quiet session when suddenly, a large white stray dog wandered over and sat itself near us. Although the dog seemed harmless at first, we looked around and noticed several other dogs hovering nearby, watching us keenly. None of the guests wanted to provoke a pack, so we adjusted.
Page(s):	8-14
URL:	https://iprr.impriindia.com/why-delhis-stray-dog-problem-is-a-governance-failure/
ISSN:	2583-3464 (Online)
Appears in Collections:	IPRR Vol. 4 (2) [July-December 2025]
PDF Link:	https://iprr.impriindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Insights-Why-Delhis-Stray-Dog-Problem-Is-a-Governance-Failure.pdf

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On a warm evening in Delhi’s Lodhi Garden, what began as an ordinary cultural outing turned into one of the most haunting lessons of my life. A friend and I had gone there for an open-air lecture, looking forward to a quiet session when suddenly, a large white stray dog wandered over and sat itself near us. Although the dog seemed harmless at first, we looked around and noticed several other dogs hovering nearby, watching us keenly. None of the guests wanted to provoke a pack, so we adjusted. The dog sat in its corner of the mat and the audience sat around it. Towards the end of the lecture however, my friend stepped forward and gently petted the dog, trying to coax it off the mat. The dog suddenly stiffened, bared its teeth, and before we could even react, it lunged and bit him on the hand. 

In a matter of seconds, the atmosphere of the gathering changed, with the lecture session turning into a scramble of panic and fear. My friend and I immediately left for RML Hospital in Connaught Place, hoping to get a quick treatment and go home. Instead, what we met with was something far more unsettling. We were directed to a huge chamber of the hospital dedicated solely to dog‑bitten patients, and dozens of patients queued up to be vaccinated. At the registration desk, we found ourselves fourth in line, despite having rushed there straight from the park. The doctor, a young lady, mentioned to me almost casually how they see two to three new dog‑bite cases every single minute. I was utterly horrified. That evening’s chaos, I realised, was not an exception. It was the norm. 

Is this normal for a capital city, or a sign of policy failure? 

Delhi prides itself on being India’s capital city, yet when we step into almost any residential lane, public park, or even a crowded market, a different reality unfolds. One can almost always find packs of stray dogs roaming freely, scavenging near mounds of garbage, often snapping when they feel threatened. What should ideally be safe and accessible civic spaces have now become increasingly marked by fear. 

The numbers alone are alarming. According to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the city records over 80,000 dog‑bite cases every year. In July 2023, The Hindu reported that Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital alone treated more than 26,000 dog‑bite patients in just six months. The World Health Organization estimates 18,000 to 20,000 people in India die of rabies annually, most of them children. 

These statistics come alive through tragic real-life stories. In East Delhi’s Trilokpuri, a five‑year‑old boy was mauled to death while playing outside his home in 2022. In Ghaziabad, a seven‑year‑old girl was killed by a pack of dogs near her housing society, sparking protests and urgent meetings of the municipal council in 2024.

Another shocking story that horrified the nation this year was that of Brijesh Solanki, a 22‑year‑old state‑level kabaddi player from Uttar Pradesh, who died of rabies after being bitten by a puppy he had rescued from a drain. Brijesh’s death made headlines not only because he was a young athlete with a promising future, but because his story underscored a devastating truth: in 2025, in a country with abundant medical knowledge, people are still dying of a disease that should no longer even exist. 

How Did We Get Here? 

This problem is not a new one, but something that has been allowed to fester. The Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, first framed in 2001 and updated in 2023, are well‑intentioned rules that prohibit culling, and mandate sterilization and vaccination drives. On paper, this seems humane and balanced. In practice, however, its implementation is patchy. Civic bodies outsource sterilisation drives to under‑resourced NGOs with little monitoring, resulting in a fraction of the population being covered each year. Delhi reportedly has over three lakh stray dogs, but sterilisation numbers fall woefully short of controlling their growth. 

Municipal records reveal that sterilization targets often go unmet by wide margins. In 2023, the MCD admitted to having sterilized only about 40,000 dogs in a year, a figure grossly insufficient to manage a population growing exponentially. Veterinary staff cite poor infrastructure and irregular payments. Shelters lack capacity, and vans meant for capturing strays often lie defunct for months. 

Meanwhile, Delhi’s broken waste management system acts as an all‑you‑can‑eat buffet for strays. Overflowing garbage dumps near markets and slums, open drains behind restaurants, and food scraps left in public spaces allow packs to thrive. Kachra colonies, such as the informal settlements near landfills like Ghazipur, become breeding grounds for dogs which then spread into neighbouring residential areas. A single day spent near the Ghazipur landfill, as documented by Down To Earth magazine, reveals dozens of dogs scavenging on heaps of organic waste, unbothered by the stench or the risk of disease. 

Well‑meaning residents often add to the issue by feeding strays right outside gates and stairwells. In 2022, the Delhi High Court issued guidelines to move feeding spots to designated areas after numerous Resident Welfare Associations complained of territorial aggression near entrances and play areas. Yet in many localities, residents continue to feed dogs in unsafe spots, leading to bitter clashes between feeders and non‑feeders. 

A Legal and Moral Deadlock 

Any attempt to address the menace meets sharp divisions. Animal rights activists, citing constitutional protections for animals, warn against cruelty and vigilante culling. They argue that the answer lies not in killing but in efficient sterilization and vaccination. Their concerns are valid, as India has seen instances of brutal and illegal culling in the past, which draws justified outrage. 

On the other side, residents living with the daily risk of bites, maulings, and constant fear demand immediate, decisive action. Courts have tried to strike a balance. The Supreme Court, in December 2022, directed civic bodies to create “feeding zones” for community dogs, while also ensuring human safety. The court observed that compassion and public safety must coexist, and neither can override the other. Yet on the ground, enforcement remains minimal. Municipal staff often cite lack of manpower or funds, leaving citizens exposed. This tension between the ethics of animal welfare and the fundamental right to public safety has created a policy paralysis. 

Supreme Court’s August 2025 Judgment

The Supreme Court’s August 2025 judgment attempted to break this deadlock with a series of decisive interventions. On August 11, the Court initially directed Delhi authorities to remove all stray dogs from the streets and shift them into shelters, citing mounting attacks and the urgent need to safeguard public safety. The order triggered immediate backlash from animal rights organizations and even municipal bodies, who warned that mass sheltering was both unfeasible and cruel. Responding to these concerns, the Court revisited its stance. Just days later, on August 22, it modified the order to reflect a more balanced approach. Sterilized and vaccinated dogs, the Court ruled, must be returned to their original areas, while only rabid or genuinely aggressive dogs could be removed. The judgment also required civic bodies across the country to establish designated feeding zones and to enforce the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules in a time-bound and transparent manner. 

In principle, the ruling was a progressive step. It rejected indiscriminate culling and mass confinement, reaffirming that compassion and public safety are not mutually exclusive. Yet the judgment also revealed its limitations. Most strikingly, the term “aggressive dog” was left undefined, raising the possibility of arbitrary or inconsistent enforcement. The directive on feeding zones was sound in theory but lacked clarity on how such zones would be created and maintained in crowded residential neighbourhoods. Most significantly, while the Court reiterated the importance of sterilization and vaccination, it did not tackle the chronic underfunding and infrastructural gaps that have long crippled implementation. A judgment, however humane in spirit, cannot substitute for the political will and administrative capacity required to carry it out. 

The Way Forward 

Delhi needs a solution that is both humane and effective. It is neither acceptable to allow unchecked dog populations to endanger citizens, nor ethical to resort to indiscriminate killing. What is needed is sustained, well‑funded, and carefully monitored intervention.

Mass sterilization and vaccination drives are crucial, and Delhi must set clear yearly targets with independent audits. Civic bodies should be held accountable through public dashboards that track progress colony by colony. Cities like Jaipur and Chennai have demonstrated that consistent sterilisation can dramatically reduce stray populations over time. 

Robust waste management is equally important. Eliminating food sources that sustain large packs means enforcing penalties on markets and restaurants that dump waste openly and accelerating the long‑promised overhaul of landfill management at sites like Ghazipur and Okhla. Enforced feeding zones must also be implemented. Courts have already ordered this, but implementation has been lax, and municipalities must demarcate safe feeding spots away from residential entrances and penalise violations. 

Finally, public education campaigns through schools, RWAs, and local clinics should run sessions on safe coexistence with animals, first‑aid measures, and the absolute necessity of post‑bite vaccination. Brijesh Solanki’s death is a tragic reminder that lack of awareness can cost lives. 

A Call to Action 

Delhi’s stray dog crisis captures, in sharp focus, the deeper weaknesses of urban governance in India. It is ravaged by fragmented accountability, chronic underfunding of municipal bodies, inconsistent policy enforcement, and a reactive rather than preventive approach to public health. The persistence of tens of thousands of dog-bite cases each year in the nation’s capital is fundamentally a question of state capacity. Effective urban governance must ensure that compassion for animals coexists with the right of citizens to safe, accessible public spaces. 

The path forward is neither abstract nor unprecedented. Delhi requires long-term ring-fenced funding for ABC programmes, mandatory year-wise sterilization targets tied to measurable outcomes, and real-time dashboards that allow public oversight. It must also integrate waste management reforms with animal control strategies, recognising that garbage-fed packs will continue to grow irrespective of sterilisation efforts alone. 

Equally crucial is the need for civic participation. Awareness campaigns, school-based sensitization, and community partnerships can help ensure safer human–animal interactions and reduce public panic. India has the legal framework, expert knowledge, and successful models necessary to address this challenge. What remains missing is the institutional resolve to treat stray dog management as a core public health priority rather than a peripheral administrative task.

References

Al Jazeera. (2025, August 30). Does India have a stray dog epidemic?
https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2025/8/30/does-india-have-a-stray-dog-epidemic

Economic Times. (2025). 37,00,000 a year, 10,000 per day: The startling scale of dog bites in India. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/3700000-a-year-10000-per-day-the-scaring-figures-of-doge-bite-in-india/articleshow/123275324.cms?from=mdr

Government of India, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying. (2023). Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2023. https://egazette.nic.in/WriteReadData/2023/244639.pdf

India Today. (2025, August 2). Delhi’s dog-bite reality that has alarmed Supreme Court too. https://www.indiatoday.in/amp/india/story/delhi-dog-bite-stray-problem-reality-supremecourt-ncr-number-girl-died-hospitals-data-animal-welfare-2763559-2025-08-02

New Indian Express. (2025, August 4). Delhi’s stray dog siege. https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/cities/delhi/2025/Aug/04/delhis-stray-dog-siege

Reuters. (2025, August 11). India’s top court orders Delhi authorities to move stray dogs to shelters. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-top-court-orders-delhi-authorities-move-stray-dogs-shelters-2025-08-11/

Reuters. (2025, August 22). India’s Supreme Court revises stray dog policy after public outcry. https://www.reuters.com/world/india/indias-top-court-revises-stray-dog-policy-after-public-outcry-2025-08-22/

Supreme Court of India. (2025, August 22). Order in Suo Motu Case No. 123/2025. https://api.sci.gov.in/supremecourt/2025/41706/41706_2025_3_1501_63567_Judgement_ 22-Aug-2025.pdf

The Hans India. (2025, July 22). Over 37 lakh dog bite cases in 2024: Centre steps up stray dog control measures. https://www.thehansindia.com/news/national/over-37-lakh-dog-bite-cases-in-2024-centre-steps-up-stray-dog-control-measures-990089

The Print. (2025, August 14). Dog bites & rabies deaths: What data reveals about complex crisis behind stray dogs debate. https://theprint.in/india/dog-bites-rabies-deaths-what-data-reveals-about-complex-crisis-behind-stray-dogs-debate/2720763/

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Rabies in India. WHO India. https://www.who.int/india/health-topics/rabies