Delhi plans uniform protocol on sterlisation, vaccination of street dogs

MCD and NDMC will conduct pilot exercises, which will serve as a model for expanding the programme across the national capital. | Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO Delhi is drafting a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination of street dogs, focusing on humane capture, proper post-operative care and the animals’ return to the localities from which they are picked up.The initiative comes amid continuing judicial scrutiny of compliance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and the Supreme Court’s directions on street dog management and rabies prevention. During a recent hearing, the Delhi High Court took note of a roadmap prepared by noted animal welfare expert Gauri Maulekhi, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, for implementing sterilisation camps in the capital.“The model SOP can be shared with the Supreme Court and it can send it to all other High Courts, which can adopt it. Because it has been successful,” the court observed during the hearing.In an order dated October 5, the High Court directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to prepare a roadmap incorporating the Amicus’ recommendations and submit it for the court’s approval.Expanding the pilotThe court was informed that sterilisation camps had been held in Anand Vihar and in Circles 6 and 14 of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), with the results described as satisfactory. Ms. Maulekhi has prepared detailed, step-by-step roadmaps for the MCD and the NDMC to conduct the pilot exercises, which are intended to serve as a model for expanding the programme across the capital.She told the court that extending the Anand Vihar strategy to all 14 Animal Birth Control centres in Delhi could help accelerate sterilisation and vaccination.The court observed that the initiative could grow into a movement, with residents themselves bringing street dogs to sterilisation centres once they were assured that the animals would be treated humanely.Standardising the processThe proposed SOP lays down procedures for the capture, treatment and release of street dogs. Residents would be informed in advance about capture operations for sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination, with assurances that the dogs would be returned to the same localities after the procedures.Ms. Maulekhi has recommended the use of public notices, signboards and placards to inform residents and prevent confusion. The local police station would also have to be notified before an operation begins. The recommendations emphasise humane capture methods, with the use of wires and tongs prohibited under the ABC Rules.“Each dog shall be collared at the time of arrival at the Centre and ear-notched during sterilisation surgery for the purpose of identification. Dogs must be given a minimum of four days’ post-operative care and released in the same area after sterilisation and immunisation in coordination with the registered feeders,” the roadmap states.Training and infrastructure gapsThe effective implementation of the programme would also depend on adequate infrastructure and trained personnel. During the hearing, Ms. Maulekhi told the court that the Anand Vihar pilot had revealed the absence of an isolation ward at the Ghazipur ABC centre for diseased dogs, including those suspected of having rabies. The deficiency was subsequently rectified.She also pointed to disparities in the condition of ABC centres across Delhi, with some facilities being well maintained while others required substantial improvements. Her recommendations call for addressing shortcomings in infrastructure, staffing and veterinary facilities.Ms. Maulekhi said a dog-catching exercise conducted at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium on August 27, 2026, had highlighted the need to improve the techniques used by catching teams. Dogs sometimes escaped, and the number caught during an outing was lower than the centre’s capacity permitted, she said.She said better-trained personnel could catch more dogs humanely in less time and reduce the number of escapes.Ms. Maulekhi, a member of the Uttar Pradesh State Animal Birth Control Monitoring Committee, told the court that the Lucknow Municipal Corporation had agreed, following her intervention, to send personnel to Delhi to conduct a 15-day training programme for veterinary personnel, para-veterinarians and dog catchers.The High Court has directed the MCD and NDMC to coordinate with the Lucknow Municipal Corporation to organise the programme. Published - October 12, 2026 09:36 pm IST