Large quantities of stray dogs, minimal shelter facilities: Preeminent issues following High Court decree
The Supreme Court's order to shift stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters and clear the streets of these animals has raised concerns about the feasibility of the mandate. The current infrastructure, funding, manpower, and a synchronized policy framework are insufficient to implement the order effectively within the stipulated eight weeks.
Delhi alone has an estimated 10 lakh (1 million) stray dogs, and if each shelter houses 500 dogs, it would require approximately 2,000 shelters to accommodate all of them. However, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) currently operates only about 20 animal control centers housing fewer than 5,000 dogs after sterilization—less than 5% of what is needed.
In Gurgaon, part of Delhi-NCR, the situation is equally dire. There are only two operational dog shelters with a capacity of 50 dogs each and two more shelters under construction, also with minimal capacity.
The main challenges in implementing the Supreme Court's order include a severe shelter infrastructure shortage, the requirement of significant funding and manpower, animal birth control rules that discourage infrastructure development for permanent sheltering, and concerns about the animals' territorial instincts and local resistance.
Moreover, the relocation of stray dogs faces legal and ethical concerns, with animal rights activists calling the move "inhumane." Ensuring that dogs already in shelters are not let go on the streets again also complicates logistics and monitoring.
The cost of feeding lakhs of dogs at shelters daily would be hundreds of crores annually for civic bodies. Shelters would require resources such as animal ambulances, veterinary doctors, CCTV cameras, and staff salaries. Rounding up all stray dogs from residential neighborhoods will be challenging, and animal lovers may resist attempts to catch stray dogs, leading to potentially tense situations.
Setting up dog shelters in Delhi faces challenges in land allocation, which may delay implementation. The MCD's standing committee chairperson has acknowledged that setting up dog shelters would take time due to these challenges. Despite this, they have pledged to do everything possible to implement the court's order.
Over 65,000 stray dogs were sterilised and vaccinated between January and June, but this falls short of the required capacity. The rise in the number of stray dogs on Delhi's streets reflects the failure to implement an effective sterilisation program.
In conclusion, while the Supreme Court has mandated relocation to shelters, Delhi-NCR currently lacks the necessary shelter capacity, manpower, funding, and a synchronized policy framework to implement the order effectively within the stipulated eight weeks.
