Delhi High Court Orders Sterilisation Camps For Stray Dogs Instead Of Pounds
Delhi court orders humane stray dog control through sterilisation camps.
The Delhi High Court has directed the city’s municipal bodies to conduct pilot sterilisation and vaccination camps for stray dogs, making it clear that the animals will not be captured, sent to pounds or harmed during the process. The court instructed civic authorities to begin with a ward-level model that can later be expanded across the city.
A division bench of Justice Dinesh Mehta and Justice Rajnish Kumar Gupta directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) to each identify one ward for setting up trial camps. The initiative will be carried out in consultation with the court-appointed amicus curiae to ensure proper implementation and monitoring.
The court stressed that the camps should be widely publicised in advance through local notices and placards to address concerns among residents. Since the dogs will not be forcibly picked up, authorities clarified that residents, pet owners and community feeders will have to voluntarily bring animals to the designated camps for sterilisation and vaccination.
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The proceedings are part of a suo motu public interest litigation initiated by the High Court to monitor compliance with Supreme Court directions on stray dog management. The Supreme Court’s orders require authorities to ensure that stray dogs are removed from sensitive public locations such as schools, hospitals, bus stands and railway stations while maintaining a balance between public safety and animal welfare.
During the hearing, MCD’s standing counsel Manu Chaturvedi informed the court that Animal Birth Control centres had been identified across eight zones in Delhi. While approvals for three zones are still pending, sterilisation activities in those areas are being managed through nearby operational centres.
The High Court said the “one ward, one camp” approach would help create a fully sterilised model area that could guide future efforts across Delhi. The bench also discussed the importance of maintaining a balanced stray dog population over the long term and encouraged civic bodies to ensure scientific and systematic implementation of the programme while preventing unnecessary fear among residents.
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