The Central Government has renewed its focus on addressing the persistent problem of stray dogs across India through a balanced, scientific, and humane population management policy. Recognising the growing public concern over safety, health, and animal welfare, the Centre has rolled out an improved framework under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, formulated under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. These rules mark a decisive step toward bringing India’s animal management practices in line with global welfare standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH). At the heart of this initiative lies the Capture–Neuter–Vaccinate–Release (CNVR) method — a globally recognised approach for controlling stray dog populations while ensuring animal welfare is not compromised.
A Humane, Scientific Approach to Population Control
The ABC Rules, 2023, lay out a structured plan for sterilising and vaccinating stray animals to regulate their numbers over time. The strategy emphasizes long-term prevention rather than short-term elimination, seeking to strike a balance between human safety and compassion toward animals. Under the new framework, local bodies and municipal authorities bear the primary responsibility for implementing sterilisation and vaccination programmes. These efforts are to be carried out in partnership with registered animal welfare organisations to ensure that the procedures are ethical, scientifically sound, and transparent. To support this mission, the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying has been regularly issuing advisories and coordination directives to all States and Union Territories. The most recent advisory, dated July 16, 2025, was jointly signed by the Secretaries of Animal Husbandry, Housing and Urban Affairs, and Panchayati Raj, urging States to accelerate the establishment of dedicated Animal Birth Control (ABC) units. The advisory mandates that at least 70 per cent of stray dogs in each jurisdiction should be covered under sterilisation drives to ensure effective control over the street dog population within a defined timeframe. To make the programme viable, the Central Government has revised its financial assistance scheme for the Birth Control and Immunisation of stray dogs and cats, which is being executed through the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) from the current fiscal year. Under the revised scheme, financial aid of up to ₹800 per dog and ₹600 per cat will be provided to local bodies and welfare organisations to conduct sterilisation procedures. The move aims to reduce the financial burden on municipal corporations and encourage wider participation by NGOs. To further enhance infrastructure, State-run veterinary hospitals are being granted one-time assistance of ₹2 crore for developing specialised facilities such as surgical theatres, kennels, and post-operative recovery units. Urban local bodies and recognised animal welfare groups will also receive financial support of up to ₹15 lakh for small animal shelters and ₹27 lakh for large shelters, enabling them to handle higher volumes of sterilisation and vaccination operations efficiently. This funding mechanism marks a shift from piecemeal allocations toward a systematic, performance-linked funding model that incentivises timely completion of sterilisation and vaccination targets.
New Guidelines and Protocols to Ensure Ethical Practices
In addition to financial provisions, the Animal Welfare Board of India has released a series of detailed guidelines and operational protocols to ensure the humane and transparent implementation of the new rules. These include standard protocols for adoption of community animals, guidelines for Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) and Apartment Owner Associations (AOAs) on managing and caring for street dogs in their premises, and instructions for maintaining accurate dog-bite data at local levels. The AWBI has also emphasised the need for community participation in the management of stray animals. RWAs and AOAs have been instructed not to obstruct feeding or caring activities for community dogs, provided they follow designated feeding zones and maintain hygiene standards. The Board launched a revised ABC implementation module on August 11, 2025, with the goal of making the sterilisation process more efficient and accountable. The new module also incorporates digital monitoring and reporting mechanisms to track the number of sterilised animals, vaccination coverage, and follow-up health data. Officials believe that the integration of digital tools will reduce duplication of efforts and help build a nationwide database on stray animal health, sterilisation, and vaccination — a long-standing gap in India’s animal welfare management. The government’s effort to manage stray dog populations is also deeply intertwined with the national strategy for rabies eradication. Rabies continues to be a serious public health concern in India, accounting for the highest number of human deaths globally due to dog-mediated transmission. To address this, States are receiving support under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme for the procurement and administration of anti-rabies vaccines. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare is simultaneously implementing the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP) and the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE), launched in 2021, which targets the complete eradication of rabies from India by 2030. Both these programmes rely heavily on the CNVR model, as sterilisation and vaccination directly contribute to reducing the spread of the rabies virus. Officials note that sterilised and vaccinated dogs are less aggressive, less likely to roam in packs, and pose a reduced risk of transmitting diseases to humans.
Union Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Prof. S.P. Singh Baghel, informed the Lok Sabha that these efforts demonstrate the Centre’s commitment to tackling the stray dog issue through humane, scientific, and sustainable methods. He emphasised that the government’s strategy is not merely reactive but systemically designed to prevent future escalations in stray populations. Prof. Baghel highlighted that while States and urban local bodies are responsible for ground-level execution, the Centre’s role is to provide policy direction, funding, and capacity building. He stated that the revised scheme aims to promote collaboration between local authorities and animal welfare organisations, which will ensure both accountability and ethical treatment of animals. Officials at the ministry added that a performance-based review mechanism will soon be introduced to assess the progress of each State in achieving sterilisation and vaccination targets. Even as the Centre pushes forward with its humane strategy, the judiciary has expressed concern over the persistent administrative lapses that have prevented effective stray dog management in several urban regions. The Supreme Court of India recently clarified its order directing authorities in the Delhi-NCR region to remove stray dogs from all residential areas. The apex court’s order, issued on August 11, 2025, instructed that no captured animal should be released back on the streets, a directive that contrasts sharply with the CNVR approach recommended by the ABC Rules. A bench comprising Justice J.B. Pardiwala and Justice R. Mahadevan remarked that the order was not a “momentary impulse” but a carefully considered decision following over two decades of inadequate response by local authorities to address the problem. The Court noted that despite repeated directions and availability of funds, civic bodies had failed to implement sterilisation and vaccination programmes effectively, resulting in increasing dog-bite incidents, rabies cases, and public safety concerns. Justice Pardiwala observed that the role of the judiciary is not to echo public sentiment but to uphold principles of justice, conscience, and equity, adding that the protection of human life must be weighed alongside the ethical treatment of animals. The Court’s clarification suggests that while it supports humane practices, it expects authorities to deliver tangible outcomes, particularly in urban regions where stray dog numbers have grown disproportionately.
Tensions Between Policy and Implementation
The Supreme Court’s latest directive has triggered debate among policymakers, activists, and legal experts about the interpretation and execution of humane management laws.
While animal rights groups advocate for adherence to the CNVR model as laid out in the ABC Rules, civic authorities argue that uncontrolled street dog populations have led to a surge in bite incidents and public fear, warranting stronger enforcement measures. Some experts point out that the real challenge lies not in the design of the rules but in their execution at the local level. Municipal bodies often face shortages of funds, trained veterinary staff, and sterilisation infrastructure, which slows progress. Moreover, poor coordination between departments, including municipal corporations, animal husbandry departments, and health authorities, has hampered integrated implementation. In many areas, community opposition also poses a hurdle. Residents often resist the creation of dog-feeding zones or ABC centres near housing colonies, leading to delays in sterilisation drives. Animal welfare activists stress that these gaps can only be bridged through public awareness, education, and community engagement, alongside consistent enforcement of the new ABC Rules. Across major cities such as Delhi, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Chennai, and Hyderabad, municipal corporations are under growing pressure to implement the revised rules effectively. Delhi’s municipal authorities have already begun mapping high-density stray dog zones for targeted sterilisation and vaccination. Officials say the goal is to sterilise 70 per cent of the stray population within 18 months, aligning with the Centre’s directive. In Bengaluru, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has partnered with several NGOs to expand its sterilisation network. However, officials acknowledge that capacity constraints persist, with only a limited number of operational veterinary facilities available. Meanwhile, in Chennai and Pune, authorities are exploring the use of mobile sterilisation units and community-based reporting apps to identify unsterilised dogs and track vaccination coverage. Experts believe that decentralising these operations and allowing ward-level monitoring could significantly improve the efficiency of sterilisation programmes.
The revised ABC scheme places significant emphasis on transparency and accountability. Each sterilisation or vaccination conducted under the programme must now be digitally recorded and geo-tagged. This ensures that funds are disbursed based on verified outcomes rather than blanket allocations. The AWBI has also proposed the creation of State Animal Welfare Monitoring Committees, comprising veterinarians, animal welfare officers, and representatives of recognised NGOs. These committees will oversee the utilisation of funds, review compliance reports, and recommend corrective actions wherever lapses are identified. Officials confirm that a quarterly audit system will be instituted to monitor expenditure, performance metrics, and quality standards across participating agencies. Such accountability measures are expected to minimise misuse of funds, ensure proper treatment of animals, and enhance the credibility of India’s animal management system internationally. Veterinary experts and public health professionals broadly support the Centre’s new framework, though they caution that the success of the programme depends on sustained political will, inter-departmental coordination, and public cooperation. Dr. S.K. Rajan, a senior veterinary surgeon associated with the AWBI, noted that sterilisation must be complemented by mass vaccination drives and public education campaigns on responsible pet ownership. “Stray dog control cannot be achieved in isolation. It must be part of a broader animal welfare ecosystem that includes vaccination, waste management, and community participation,” he said. Public health experts add that solid waste management plays a crucial role, as poorly managed garbage provides an easy food source that encourages stray population growth. Municipalities, therefore, need to integrate waste disposal reforms with sterilisation efforts for long-term success. The ABC Rules aim to strike a delicate balance between animal welfare and human safety, a challenge that has long divided urban India. On one hand, the growing number of stray dog attacks has led to demands for stricter control measures. On the other, animal rights organisations have warned against inhumane practices such as mass culling or relocation, which are illegal under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The Centre’s current approach—centred on sterilisation, vaccination, and adoption—seeks to resolve this tension by offering a sustainable middle ground. Authorities hope that with consistent implementation, India can move toward a future where public health and animal welfare coexist without conflict. The government’s renewed focus on humane management of stray dogs under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023 marks a crucial step in aligning policy with both scientific evidence and ethical responsibility. While funding, infrastructure, and community participation remain significant challenges, the introduction of revised guidelines, financial support, and digital monitoring tools signals a systemic shift in how India addresses its stray animal crisis. For success, local bodies must move beyond symbolic efforts and embrace sustained, data-driven, and compassionate action. Only through consistent implementation, transparency, and public cooperation can India realise the dual goals of safer communities and humane treatment for every street animal.
