The Supreme Court of India has ordered the removal of all stray dogs from Delhi within two months, a move that has left civic authorities scrambling. With no recent census, officials estimate the city’s stray dog population at nearly one million — far beyond current management capacity.
Delhi’s last official count in 2009 recorded 560,000 dogs, with estimates rising to 800,000 in 2019. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi operates 20 Animal Birth Control centres with NGOs, designed for sterilisation and release, not permanent housing. These facilities could shelter only about 4,000 dogs, less than 4% of the total.
Experts warn that the scale of the task, combined with a lack of infrastructure, manpower, and funds, makes compliance nearly impossible. They caution that rushed removal could cause widespread animal suffering and pose public health risks.
