The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has announced plans to construct dog shelters in all 12 of its civic zones and introduce a dedicated helpline for residents to report stray animals. The move follows recent Supreme Court observations holding local authorities accountable for long-standing inaction in addressing the national capital’s stray dog population.

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What Prompted the MCD’s New Measures? The Supreme Court is currently hearing petitions challenging an earlier directive to relocate stray dogs to shelters. During Thursday’s hearing, the bench remarked that the “whole problem” in Delhi-NCR stemmed from the failure of civic bodies to act. The court has reserved its verdict on the matter.

Mayor Raja Iqbal Singh reaffirmed the civic body’s commitment to following the court’s directions while maintaining humane treatment of animals. “We will do everything possible to address this problem. At the same time, we are also concerned about the welfare of animals,” he said.

Standing Committee Chairperson Satya Sharma noted that although shelter construction is in progress, the process is hindered by challenges in land allocation.

How Will the Stray Dog Helpline Work in Delhi-NCR? The new helpline will allow residents to inform the MCD about stray dogs in their localities. Once a call is received, municipal teams will pick up the animals. More non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are also being enlisted to accelerate sterilisation and vaccination drives.

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What Do the Dog Bite Numbers in Delhi-NCR Say? MCD officials report that on average 10,000 dogs are sterilised and vaccinated every month. Between January and June 2025, more than 65,000 strays underwent the procedure. The civic body aims to cover nearly 98,000 dogs between April 2024 and December 2025, following 79,959 in 2023–24 and 59,076 in 2022–23.

At present, 20 sterilisation centres operate in Delhi, managed by registered NGOs under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) rules, which mandate that animals be returned to their original locations after the procedure.

Are Dog Bites on the Rise in Delhi-NCR? The MCD has recorded 26,334 dog bite cases so far in 2025 — 9,920 at municipal hospitals and 15,010 at its anti-rabies vaccination (ARV) centres. In 2024, the total reached 68,090 cases. The civic body currently holds 5,471 ARV doses and 3,736 anti-rabies serum (ARS) doses in stock.

A Balancing Act Between Public Health and Animal Welfare