Delhi shared to feed homeless dogs after the Supreme Court ruling

A few days after the orders of the High Court of India, the issue of stray dogs in Delhi came to the focus, tension in the city. Animal lovers say they face hostility and sometimes violence for the care of homeless people, while people who believe that dogs should be on the streets claim that they can be aggressive and dangerous.

Megat Malhotra fed homeless dogs in her residential complex for almost two years.

Every night, it places food in a temporary feeding place at the exit of the gate of its building. “I like to take care of them and feed them,” she says.

But in recent weeks, she has felt growing anxiety among residents every time she was giving food. Some even encountered her, insisting that she ceases to feed the animals, she says.

Ms Malhotra says that it usually prefers to remain calm in such situations. But late time there have been cases where it should be more firm.

Such confrontations often become in Delhi and in many Indian cities when civil authorities fight the rapidly developing population of stray dogs. Those who nourish dogs do it out of sympathy, and those who oppose it are quoting an increasing number of dog bites, some of which were also deadly.

Animal lovers claim that most of the confusion stems from the recent ruling of the Supreme Court, which covers the polarization discussion: how should India manage its homeless population in densely populated cities?

In August, the court changed its preliminary directive, demanding all the stray dogs in Delhi to move to the shelter. Instead, it decided that dogs should be abused, vaccinated, sterilized and returning in the neighborhood – but with the aging dog and those who carry rabies, she should be transferred to shelters.

The court also banned feeding in public and asked the civilian authorities to appoint specific areas where dogs can be given.

But some residents interpreted it as a ban on dog feeding.

Dog tutors claim that they are being persecuted, attacked and threatened, often with their neighbors, who now believe that feeding is not illegal. In some cases, residents tried to get rid of dog feeding to scare people from giving them food.

“There is a fear in the minds of people (that the dog has attacked them). What they do not get is that these animals just need love and care,” says Ms. Malhotat.

Baconto -Sabbak – a familiar presence in Indian cities, especially in Delhi, which is estimated to have almost a million travel – although there was no official count in the last decade.

Most of these dogs are not considered wild. Rather, they are regarded as “public animals” who live next to humans and rely on their food. From closed colonies to roadside tea kiosks, they are woven into the fabric of daily urban life.

However, the growth of the number of people in Delhi and its satellite cities claims that they are afraid of dog bites and claims that it is being compromised by security and sanitation around their homes and public places. Beginning of homeless dogs can often be seen as children and elderly people.

“My husband and I are afraid to send our children to play unattended. What happens when the dog bites them? Who will be responsible?” Says Hot Singh, a resident of Northern Delhi.

Government data show In 2024, 3.7 million cases of dog bites were reported, registered more than 25,000 from Delhi.

Despite the large number of stray dogs, India is not pursuing a comprehensive management policy outside the animal control program (ABC), which is aimed at reducing aggression and population by sterilization and vaccination.

Delhi, in particular, have 25 ABC centers that work under a simple mandate: sterilize and vaccinated homeless dogs, and then return them to their original neighborhoods. However, these centers are overstated and often faced with problems in obtaining funds for unobstructed operations.

Meanwhile, municipal officials in Delhi started working to detect dog feeding places according to the court ruling.

Newspaper Hindustan Times It is reported that the Subcommittee on stray dogs decided that the employees of the sanitation in each area would work with people and associations for the well -being of residential well -being for the detection of these spots.

The BBC addressed the mayor and wrote a municipal official for comments but did not receive an answer.

Activists say the authorities should move rapidly on creating these spaces, while providing feeders.

“The feeders have never been a problem. They are an important part of the solution,” says Ambika activist Shukla. “These are those who guarantee that dogs will be sterilized and vaccinated. These are those who keep them gentle.”

The shelters agree. Staff at NEITERNATION WOOF, NGO founded in Delhi, say that sterilization drives are much more effective when local caregivers participate.

“The feeders help us determine the dogs, and their presence facilitates them to pick them up and load them into minibuses. In most cases, we do not even need bags and ropes,” says the Nagar diploma that manages the shelter operations.

In the absence of a clear strategy for solving the problem, experts believe that sterilization and vaccination remain the best long -term solutions to keep the Delhi dog.

“Sterilization is the only way forward,” says Ms Shukla, adding that the method also helped reduce rabies cases compared to the previous decade.

However, experts note that at least 70% of stray dogs in the area should be sterilized to destroy the propagation cycle and effectively reduce their population.

For feeders such as MS Malhotra, discussion is not just numbers. It is about awareness and coexistence.

“One side must understand that animals need compassion, not sticks and cells. The other side (those who feed) must also be more responsible. The food must be placed in a safe angle, not in front of the lifts and doors,” she says.

“The decision is between sympathy and caution.”

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