Dog census essential for success of Animal Birth Control programme: Report

New Delhi: Without a concrete number of free-ranging (stray) dogs in Delhi-NCR, municipal authorities cannot plan for shelters or sterilisation - a census is therefore essential for the success of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, according to a report.

The programme is governed by the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, which is a set of guidelines through which the central government aims to manage the stray dog population and reduce conflicts with humans by sterilisation and vaccination.

Citing data from the government, experts from the Esya Centre, a New Delhi-based non-profit think tank, said 126 rabies-related deaths were recorded nationally, with none reported in Delhi during 2022-2025.

However, the number of rabies deaths "requires further qualification," as it can be transmitted by any mammal, including cows and monkeys, the Centre pointed out in its report — Free-ranging Dogs in India: An Empirical Analysis of Human-Animal Interactions.

They added that several figures between 300,000 and one million are doing the rounds on the number of free-ranging dogs in Delhi-NCR.

"Without a concrete figure, it is impossible for municipal authorities to plan for the creation of capacity for either shelters or sterilisation for these animals. A census is essential to the success of an Animal Birth Control Program," the authors wrote.

On November 7, the Supreme Court directed that stray dogs be moved to designated shelters in response to an increase in dog bite incidents reported from institutional areas such as hospitals and educational centres.

The apex court also ordered authorities, including the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), to ensure stray animals and cattle are removed from highways and expressways.

Author of the report Meghna Bal, director of the Esya Centre, told PTI, "People in the community who have a direct line of sight on the number of dogs in areas they feed can be co-opted to support census efforts."

"We found through our surveys that most are willing to support efforts under the ABC programme. They can create logs or registers of the animals under their care or in their community," she said.

The team surveyed over a thousand residents across 10 cities in India to understand public attitudes towards community dogs and population-management measures such as sterilisation or vaccination.

Nearly 75 per cent of the respondents described the temperament of free-ranging dogs in their neighbourhood as "friendly", 15 per cent "timid", and about 10-11 per cent "aggressive", the authors said.

"These perceptions suggest that, for a majority of people, coexistence with community dogs is not marked by conflict but by familiarity and ease," they wrote.

Further, over 90 per cent of the respondents reported that free-ranging dogs function as an effective deterrent against criminal activity -- over 52 per cent of these felt that the presence of a dog helps keep women and children safe, the authors found.

The authors also called for a "greater granularity in India's dog bite data." Without distinguishing between pet and free-ranging dog bites, policy responses could be misdirected, potentially leading to interventions that are costly, ineffective, or detrimental to community animal welfare, the team said.

Instances of dog bites continue to be reported from around the country.

Earlier this month, at least 40 people were bitten by stray dogs in Madhya Pradesh's Damoh district over two days, while 24 in Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh, were affected. On November 8, a two-year-old girl sustained injuries after being repeatedly bitten in Thane, Maharashtra.