The Supreme Court’s order to move all Delhi-NCR stray dogs to shelters has drawn backlash from animal rights groups, calling it arbitrary and impractical.
Globally, stray control methods vary — New York shelters dogs until adoption or euthanasia, Singapore uses sterilisation, vaccination, microchipping, and London enforces microchipping with temporary holding.
Turkey requires sheltering and euthanising dangerous or terminally ill dogs, a policy upheld by its Constitutional Court.
Experts say Western models won’t work in India due to budget and manpower gaps, recommending continued use of ABC Rules.
ABC Rules 2023 mandate sterilisation, vaccination, and release of strays, with some states adding feeding restrictions and monitoring measures.
Uttar Pradesh bans uncontrolled stray feeding, while Kerala has formed special monitoring committees after a surge in dog attacks.
Mumbai permits feeding of community animals only in designated clean spots, linking the practice to sterilisation and vaccination drives.
BMC’s June 2025 guidelines protect animal feeders from harassment, promoting compassion as part of India’s tradition of non-violence.