Stray dog menace: HC decides to develop a city as model in containing the problem

The Madhya Pradesh High Court plans to develop a model city to curb stray dog attacks affecting schools, hospitals, and public places. During a hearing involving a suo motu petition and public interest litigations, a division bench of Chief Justice Alpesh Kogje and Justice Vivek Jain heard the state government submit its status report on the implementation of Supreme Court of India guidelines. The amicus curiae appointed in the case stated that curb efforts remained restricted to major cities while smaller towns and villages also faced the problem. The Supreme Court of India had earlier issued an order expressing concern over stray dogs at public areas and directed high courts to monitor implementation following an incident in the year 2022 where a four-year-old child was badly wounded by a pack of stray dogs. Stakeholders agreed on adopting one city as a model to expand later, with Urban Acres reporting on the initiative. The specific city will be decided during the next hearing scheduled for November 30.

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The Times of India

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3 Nov 2026News
Panel proposes 10 year roadmap for stray dog issue in Keralam
A committee of Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University experts has submitted a 10‑year roadmap to manage stray dogs in Kerala. The 20‑chapter document, prepared by KVASU, the Animal Husbandry Department and the Kerala Grama Panchayat Association, was handed to Local Self‑Government Minister K. M. Shaji after a draft was submitted on August 18. The plan, aligned with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023 and Supreme Court directives, outlines four phases: adoption, shelters, ABC centres and waste management in the first two years; zero human rabies deaths by 2030 and reducing dog density to 2‑5 per sq km; ending births through sustained sterilisation and a zero‑abandonment policy; and keeping public places free of roaming dogs. Kerala reports about 4.5 lakh street dogs in 2024, up from 3 lakh in 2019, with 3.69 lakh bite victims in 2025 and 122 rabies deaths from 2021‑2025. A committee member said, “Providing this maintenance subsidy could save the government 50% to 75% of the cost of maintaining dogs in shelters.” Implementation will need coordinated action by Local Self‑Government, Animal Husbandry, Health and Home departments and public participation.
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Stray dog menace: HC decides to develop a city as model in containing the problem

Sources

More in Adoption

Panel proposes 10 year roadmap for stray dog issue in Keralam

High Court appointed amici curiae inspect dog shelter at Kuttichal in Thiruvananthapuram

Keralam targets zero free roaming dogs in public spaces in 10 years

From the Library

Stray dog orders and ABC Rules: AWBI compliance circular

Government steps on vet services, dairy and stray dogs

Veterinary vaccine testing lab expanded at Baghpat