Opinion The streets are no place for dogs. If Delhi gets it right, it can set a precedent for the nation

India accounts for over a third of global rabies deaths, most caused by dog bites. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms appear, yet entirely preventable through dog vaccination and timely post-exposure prophylaxis. Children and people in vulnerable occupations — tea-garden workers, waste pickers, migrant labourers, everyone on the margins of the socioeconomic order — are disproportionately affected, often without timely access to treatment. Dog bites also carry an economic cost: Post-bite expenses can push poor families into debt, and the constant presence of packs of dogs instils fear in neighbourhoods. Public safety is non-negotiable; every citizen should be able to walk the streets without fear.

For years, debate on this issue has been reduced to “dog lovers versus dog bite victims,” a false binary that tries to portray the issue as compassion against cruelty. This framing ignores the critical expertise of other stakeholders — ecologists, veterinarians, epidemiologists, urban planners, and public health experts — who understand dog population dynamics, rabies epidemiology, and human–animal interactions. Their insights must guide implementation. The Court’s directive gives municipalities political cover to act, but how they do so will decide whether this becomes a turning point or a cautionary tale.

Large-scale removal of street dogs is not as simple as netting and relocating them. Without proper planning, shelters risk becoming overcrowded warehouses breeding disease, neglect, and public outrage. Quick-fix, unscientific solutions will fail and harm India’s credibility internationally. What is needed is a phased, humane approach supported by robust, long-term capacity. Shelters should not be holding pens but well-designed facilities with sustainable capacity, veterinary care, isolation wards, sterilisation units, vaccination clinics, and enrichment spaces. Microchipping, photo identification, or tagging every dog can ensure real enumeration, traceability and prevent them from returning to the streets.

Adoption must be central to the plan. Puppies and sociable adults can find homes through public adoption drives, coupled with proper screening and follow-up to prevent repeat abandonment. Beyond rehoming, Indian local dogs should be valued for their resilience and adaptability. They can be trained as guard dogs, search-and-rescue animals, or security partners for police and disaster response teams, changing public perception about them from nuisance to asset.

A lasting solution also requires stopping the pipeline of new street dogs. Pet owners must be required to register, sterilise, and vaccinate their dogs, with strict penalties for abandonment. Public campaigns should promote responsible ownership as part of civic duty. Feeding dogs in public without taking responsibility for their health and behaviour is misplaced compassion that sustains the cycle of conflict. Public fear of dogs is real and must be respected, but it should be addressed by tackling the root causes of aggression. Instead of public feeding, contributions can be channelised to the shelter homes to develop a sustainable business model with perennial social benefits and A-class animal welfare.

The writer is DBT Wellcome Trust India Alliance Intermediate Fellow, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IITG), and research affiliate, Sydney Medical School, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney