Three new dog shelters planned in Delhi; over 54,000 strays sterilised

New Delhi, Dec 5 (PTI) Amid concerns over stray dog management and public safety, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday said it plans to establish three new dog shelters, with works underway for one in Dwarka, while two more have been proposed at Bella Road and Bijwasan, officials said.

According to official data, the civic body has so far sterilised and immunised 54,623 stray dogs under the ongoing Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme.

MCD Commissioner Ashwani Kumar, who presented the civic body's Rs 16,530.50-crore budget for 2026-27 on Friday, announced the plan for dog shelters during a post-budget media interaction.

He said the Dwarka Sector-29 shelter is already under development, while the two other facilities at Bella Road and Bijwasan are in the planning stage.

For housing aggressive, ferocious and rabies-infected dogs, the civic body has identified a three-acre plot in Dwarka, where 1,000-1,500 dogs are expected to be accommodated, an official said, adding that the two remaining shelters will be developed in upcoming phases.

The measures come in the backdrop of repeated observations by the judiciary directing civic agencies to intensify sterilisation and vaccination, and ensure proper shelters for stray animals to strike a balance between public safety and animal welfare.

The initiative also follows the Supreme Court’s recent scrutiny of stray dog management in Delhi.

In August 2025, the top court had directed civic authorities to capture all stray dogs and confine them to shelters. However, around ten days later, the court modified its order and allowed the release of sterilised and vaccinated dogs to their original territories.

Meanwhile, the MCD on Tuesday also approved a policy introducing strict penalties on NGO-operated ABC centres if rabies cases or failed sterilisations are reported in their allotted zones.

Besides stray dogs, the civic body has also impounded and sent 6,347 cattle to gaushalas, while 731 monkeys were caught and relocated to the Asola Bhati Mines Wildlife Sanctuary, according to the "Important Achievements of MCD" data. PTI NSM NSM ARB ARB