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Indian Express
12-08-2025
- Indian Express
Pet-police force and sterilisation: How Bhutan, Netherlands resolve the stray dog issue
At a time when government agencies in Delhi-NCR are scrambling to come up with plans to accommodate stray dogs following the Supreme Court order, a few countries have managed to fix the issue. In 2023, India's neighbour Bhutan recorded 100% sterilisation of its stray dog population under its 'Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme'. While the programme was introduced in 2021, the initiative to sterilise and vaccinate strays was spread over 14 years. Starting 2021, a total of 61,680 dogs were sterilised, of which 56,251 (91%) were free-ranging dogs and the rest were pets. During the campaign 58,581 (95%) dogs were vaccinated against rabies and 32,544 pet dogs were microchipped and registered. In all, over 150,000 strays were sterilised. The programme was implemented with a total budget of Rs 29 crore and was carried out by 12,812 personnel. Netherlands, meanwhile, is among the first European countries with no stray dog population. The country was dealing with a large stray population in the late 1800s and early 1900s. A research paper, 'How Holland became free of stray dogs' says that when the stray dog population in the country started to rise as a result of people abandoning pets, the first response from authorities was to cull them. Mandatory leash and muzzle laws were also established. Later, a 'dog tax' was introduced. This proved to be counterproductive since people started to abandon more dogs as they were unable to pay taxes. At the end of the 20th century, the country passed a law against animal abuse. What changed the game, however, was the implementation of three simple measures. First, the government imposed a heavy tax on store-bought dogs, which pushed the potential dog owners to adopt from the shelters. Second, it carried out the 'CNVR' programme which stands for Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return. Third, authorities launched a pet-police force that imposes fine and jail time for animal abuse and neglect, while also rescuing animals in violation of this law is considered a criminal offence where the person can get a maximum prison sentence of upto three years and a fine of around €16,000. Monday's Supreme Court order also goes against India's ABC Rules 2023. The rules, notified in March 2023, state: 'Dogs from only one area shall be brought for sterilisation, immunisation at a given time in the Animal Birth Control Center and effort must be made to avoid bringing into contact dogs from different areas. All the dogs caught shall be identified with a numbered collar immediately upon arrival at the Animal Birth Control Center and the number shall correspond to capture records to ensure that each dog is released, in the same area from where it was captured, after sterilisation and immunisation.' This means that the present rules do not provide for any provision to capture dogs and relocate them.
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Business Standard
11-08-2025
- Health
- Business Standard
SC crackdown on stray dog menace: How other nations tackled the problem
The Supreme Court on Monday, August 11, ordered that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR must be shifted away from residential localities and any organisation that blocks this exercise will face strict action. The court's order comes amid a rise in dog bite cases and rabies deaths. A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan took suo motu cognisance of a news report on rising rabies deaths. The court strictly said it will hear arguments only from the Centre, excluding petitions from dog lovers or other parties. Authorities in Delhi-NCR have been directed to build shelters, relocate dogs, and update the court. The shelters must employ professionals for handling, sterilisation, and vaccination, and have CCTVs installed to prevent escapes. Civic bodies must set up a helpline for bite cases and round up all dogs, whether sterilised or not. How canines were tamed globally Globally, the proven formula is a mix of vaccination, sterilisation, registration, public education, and large-scale sheltering or in some cases, euthanasia. Public health benchmarks suggest around 70 per cent vaccination coverage and high sterilisation rates are needed to stop rabies and stabilise populations. Out of all the examples, the case of Netherlands is often cited as the most humane manner of dealing with street dogs. The Netherlands' success came over decades through dense animal-control networks, strict ownership laws, adoption incentives and a national catch-neuter-vaccinate-return (CNVR) programme. Most dogs became owned, microchipped or sheltered. The transformation was gradual, built on steady investment in shelters, adoption systems and enforcement. Thailand and Bhutan: Mass sterilisation and vaccination Greater Bangkok sterilised and vaccinated hundreds of thousands of dogs between 2016 and 2023 via mobile clinics, community engagement and data tracking, leading to fewer bites and better rabies control where coverage was sustained. Bhutan is the first country in the world to sterilise and vaccinate 100 per cent of its stray dog population. A small nation with tens of thousands of dogs, it treated control as a public-health priority, combining vaccination, sterilisation and awareness in urban and border areas. How China tackled rabies and stray dogs China prioritised rabies elimination with mass vaccination, compulsory registration, online reporting and enforcement of 'civilised dog-keeping' rules. Since 2014, Beijing implemented mass mandatory rabies vaccination, established 664 sites, and paired it with anonymous reporting and educational programs. By 2023, vaccine antibody rates among dogs reached 80-86 per cent in urban Beijing, with official reports of zero human rabies cases since 2021. Controversial measures: Turkiye's euthanasia law Countries such as Turkiye have resorted to mass removals or euthanasia after high-profile attacks. Turkiye's recent law allows large-scale roundups and euthanasia, upheld by courts but criticised by welfare groups. Historically, Turkiye implemented a CNVR program starting in 2004, which aimed to humanely manage the stray dog issue through sterilisation and vaccination. However, this program suffered from underfunding, poor management, and insufficient scale, leading to continued population growth and associated problems. In 2024, Turkiye introduced a controversial new law that replaced the previous CNVR approach. This law mandates municipalities to capture stray dogs and keep them in shelters where they must be sterilised and vaccinated. Strays are to be offered for adoption, but euthanasia is allowed for dogs deemed aggressive, ill, or untreatable. Evidence, however, suggests such measures offer only temporary relief if abandonment, low vaccination and poor waste management persist. How does India's infrastructure compare to the world? India's national ABC Rules and history of sterilisation/vaccination drives have produced progress in places like Meghalaya, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Jaipur and Jodhpur. But coverage is patchy, and many municipalities lack veterinary capacity. In Chennai, only 27 per cent of the 181,000 stray dogs were sterilised in 2024, according to a report by The Times of India. Delhi has about 1 million strays, with 470,000 sterilised in 2023. Twenty-one centres run by 13 NGOs can handle 10,000 surgeries daily, but actual figures fall short, according to another report published in The Times of India in July 2025. The Supreme Court's order marks a decisive shift in India's approach to the stray dog crisis, prioritising public safety over sentiment but concerns of animal activists remain.
Borneo Post
27-04-2025
- General
- Borneo Post
Unimas, SSPCA, SOS unite to tackle campus stray issues
Dona (third right) presents a token of appreciation to Wee (centre) during the Pet Walk 2025 event, witnessed by Jee (third left) and other invited guests. – Photo by Jude Toyat KUCHING (April 27): The Sarawak Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SSPCA) and Save Our Strays (SOS) will partner with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) in May to address the issue of stray animals on its campus through an awareness and control initiative. SSPCA president Datin Dona Drury-Wee said that the initiative will focus on raising awareness about the proper care of campus strays. A key component of the collaboration is the implementation of a Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return (CNVR) programme aimed at managing and curbing the stray animal population within Unimas grounds. 'In the next month SSPCA and SOS will also start our work with Unimas to create greater awareness about the care for their campus strays, as well as a Capture, Neuter, Vaccinate and Return programme (CNVR) to curb the growth of the stray population there,' she said in her speech during the Pet Walk 2025 event at the Kuching South City Council (MBKS) foyer here today. Dona emphasised that events like The Pet Walk are not only fun and memorable, but also highlight the importance of responsible pet ownership, compassion, and community engagement. 'We are holding this in the month of April to commemorate World Stray Animal Day, and we would like to remind members of the public that stray animals do not ask to be abandoned and left on the streets, it is our human responsibility to ensure that all animals are taken care of. 'If you do not wish to have an uncontrollable number of pets, then you must neuter or spay your animals to prevent unwanted litters,' she stressed. She also highlighted SSPCA's ongoing efforts in supporting the 'One Health' approach, which focuses on the interconnected health of people, animals, and the environment, especially in combating rabies. 'We all work together on the principal of One Health, to eradicate rabies and achieve the global target of zero human deaths by 2030. 'Remember, by protecting your pets through vaccination, you are also protecting your family and neighbours from rabies,' she said. The Pet Walk 2025 saw more than 800 participants and over 150 pets joining the event, which was co-organised with Pertubuhan Komuniti Progresif Kuching (PKPK). Dona expressed her gratitude to all participants, volunteers, sponsors, and supporters who contributed to the event's success. 'Together, we are making a difference — one pawprint at a time,' she added. The event was officiated by Kuching South Mayor Datuk Wee Hong and attended by PKPK chairman and organising chairman Ryan Jee, DVSS deputy director Dr Nicholas Jenek and Boehringer Ingelheim Malaysia technical manager Dr Eddie Tan, as well as local media fraternity and other pet lovers.
