SC stray order: Study finds most human–street dog encounters in India peaceful; aggression seen in only 2%
According to PTI, a University of Edinburgh study on street dogs and public health, led by Professor Krithika Srinivasan, found that 82% of encounters involve approachable or neutral behaviour, while only 2% show aggression such as barking, chasing, or biting.
The findings come just days after a bench headed by Justice JB Pardiwala, citing rising dog bite and rabies cases, directed civic bodies to capture strays, establish shelters with sterilisation and immunisation facilities, and warned that 'no captured animal should be released back on the streets.'
The court also cautioned that anyone obstructing the drives could face contempt action.
The study noted that over the past two decades, reported human rabies cases in India have dropped by nearly 75% from 274 in 2005 to 34 in 2022, a decline credited to mass dog vaccination and better access to post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP).
Despite this progress, researchers warn that gaps in timely PEP access and adherence to vaccination schedules remain a serious concern.
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Professor Srinivasan research cautioned that culling or mass removal of street dogs can often backfire, as vacated areas may be repopulated by unfamiliar dogs or other potentially dangerous animals, disrupting existing ecological balances.
A 2022–23 survey across 15 Indian states recorded a dog bite incidence of 4.7 per 1,000 people — far lower than the 18.7 per 1,000 reported in Cheshire, UK.
Public opinion studies in Chennai, Jaipur, and Malappuram found 86% support for dog vaccination and 66% for neutering, while over 70% opposed culling.
Opposition rose to 77% among those who had personally been chased or bitten by stray dogs.
The research calls for a science-led, community-based approach, including universal, free PEP, sustained vaccination drives, food waste control, community education, and responsible caregiving, stressing that elimination policies may seem like a quick fix but fail to ensure long-term public safety.
Earlier, dog lovers also insisted that proper vaccination and sterilisation should be the focus and not removal.
'Work should be done for animal birth control,' said a member of Save Animal, an NGO. 'Removing dogs in this manner is wrong.'
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The number of cases of rabies which had been rising every year and had reached a high of 120 reported cases in 1996 began a steady decline and by 2007 it had dropped to zero. After three successive years of zero rabies, Chennai was declared rabies-free in 2010--the first metropolis in India to achieve this. Jaipur had also reached zero even earlier after starting a similar programme in 1996. Seeing the success of ABC-AR in Chennai and Jaipur, the Government of India's Animal Welfare Board adopted ABC-AR as its policy and recommended the Government to adopt it. Things moved swiftly and Parliament approved the ABC Rules in 2001 which stopped the poisoning or electrocution of street dogs and made ABC mandatory for all local bodies. With increased awareness and vaccination drives, rabies cases dropped by over 95% from WHO's 29,000 in 1996 to about 500 in 2024. 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