Birth control programme only way to control stray dog population: Centre

NEW DELHI: The central government has said that it intends to control street dog population only through its established animal birth control (ABC) programme that mandates civic bodies to catch strays and release them back to their original locations post-sterilisation.

The ABC rules, framed under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, align with global standards set by the World Organisation for Animal Health and promote the "Capture-Neuter-Vaccinate-Release method" for humane and effective stray dog population management, Union minister of state for fisheries, animal husbandry and dairying, SP Singh Baghel, informed Parliament on Tuesday.



The government's stand validates the viewpoint of protesting animal rights activists who have described the Supreme Court's Aug 11 order to remove all Delhi-NCR stray dogs to shelters in far-off places as "inhumane, unscientific" and "one that violates the established ABC rules".

Though the issue of stray dogs falls under the purview of state governments, the minister, in a written reply to Lok Sabha, said, "To ensure humane and effective dog population management, the central government has framed the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023."

"Under the Rules, local bodies are responsible for implementing sterilisation and vaccination programmes in collaboration with animal welfare organisations," he said.

In fact, only last month, the minister said, "...the Secretaries of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Ministry of Panchayati Raj jointly issued an advisory reiterating that sterilisation of stray dogs is central to dog population management."

"The advisory urged urban local bodies to establish Animal Birth Control units and undertake large-scale sterilisation programmes, covering at least 70% of stray dogs," he said in his written reply to Lok Sabha.

Moreover, to bolster its ABC efforts, the government has revised the existing Scheme for Birth Control and Immunisation of stray dogs and stray cats, which is being implemented through the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) from the current financial year.

Under this scheme, for sterilisation, the government has earmarked financial assistance of up to ₹800 per dog and ₹600 per cat for Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCAs) and local bodies to conduct ABC programmes.

"A one-time grant of ₹2 crore is provisioned for state-run veterinary hospitals to develop facilities such as surgical theatres, kennels, and recovery units," the minister told Lok Sabha. Also, financial support of up to ₹15L and ₹27L for small and large animal shelters will be made available to urban local bodies and recognised animal welfare organisations.

In addition, states will be given financial support for the procurement of anti-rabies vaccines, the minister told Parliament.