News Brief
Delhi Government Issues Strict Guidelines For Street Dog Management, Rabies Control And Safety
Stray Dogs (Image source: X)
Following the directives of the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court, the Government of Delhi has released a comprehensive set of guidelines for the management of street dog populations, vaccination, and sterilisation.
The guidelines, aligned with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023 makes it mandatory for local bodies including MCD, NDMC and DCB to engage only those Animal Welfare Organisations (AWOs) recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI).
Veterinarians, handlers and para-veterinary staff are required to undergo training at AWBI’s ABC Training Centre. At present, 20 ABC Centres operate in Delhi through NGOs under municipal oversight.
Each ABC Centre must be equipped with quarantine kennels, operation theatres with power backup, vans for safe transportation of dogs, incinerators or deep burial facilities, CCTV coverage, and a detailed record of sterilisation, vaccination and release.
Local ABC Monitoring Committees must meet monthly to review progress, while annual reports of sterilisation and immunisation are to be submitted to AWBI by May each year.
On pet ownership, dogs above three months must be registered with local authorities. Two categories are defined: breeding and non-breeding. For non-breeding dogs, sterilisation after one year of age and an annual vaccination certificate are mandatory.
The handling of rabid or aggressive dogs has been detailed. Rabid dogs are to be kept under observation at ABC centres until natural death, while non-rabid dogs must be sterilised, vaccinated, and released at the point of capture.
Municipal bodies are also directed to empanel private shelters for the permanent housing of habitually aggressive animals.
Further, designated feeding spots for community dogs will be identified by RWAs and residents, marked with clear signage. Feeding outside these zones is now prohibited.
“Harassing, threatening, obstructing or preventing any person from responsibly feeding community dogs… is a serious offence,” the order states, stressing strict legal action against offenders.
