MCG braces for relocating 50K stray dogs after SC directive

Gurugram has seen a sharp rise in dog bite cases, climbing from 2,612 in 2021 to over 10,000 in 2024, averaging nearly 27 incidents a day, district officials said.

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) is preparing for what could be one of its most demanding civic operations, relocating the city’s estimated 50,000 stray dogs to shelter homes, after the Supreme Court’s directive on Monday for stray dogs in Delhi-NCR. However, MCG officials said they have not yet received the official court order.

The MCG has announced plans for a large-capacity shelter for 5,000 animals, with joint commissioner Piyawan Singh tasked with preparing a detailed project plan (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

The directive, issued in response to a surge in dog-bite cases, mandates that all stray dogs be shifted to shelters and prohibits their release back on the streets, a measure that directly contradicts the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, which require sterilised dogs to be returned to their original locations. The court has also warned against any obstruction to relocation efforts.

Gurugram has seen a sharp rise in dog bite cases, climbing from 2,612 in 2021 to over 10,000 in 2024, averaging nearly 27 incidents a day, district officials said.

Severe capacity shortfall

Gurugram has only two operational dog shelters, each housing up to 50 animals, with two more facilities under construction that will add another 100 spaces, taking total capacity to just 200 dogs. This is a fraction of the roughly 50,000 stray dogs in the city, according to a 2023 census.

Joint commissioner (SBM) Dr Preet Pal Singh said, “We have not yet received the official order from the Supreme Court. Once we do, we will study it carefully and take steps in compliance. If required, we will identify land and create larger facilities, but our immediate priority will be to ensure humane treatment while safeguarding public safety.”

The MCG has announced plans for a large-capacity shelter for 5,000 animals, with joint commissioner Piyawan Singh tasked with preparing a detailed project plan. The proposal was discussed at an MCG House meeting at the Haryana Institute of Public Administration in Sector 18, chaired by Mayor Rajrani Malhotra.

Current practice

Explaining the existing system, Singh said, “Two agencies are working on sterilisation and vaccination drives. Stray dogs are taken to an animal birth control centre, treated, sterilised, vaccinated, and then released back, as per ABC rules. We currently have no facility that can accommodate even 1,000 dogs. If the order requires permanent housing, it will require massive infrastructure expansion.”

Residents have expressed both support and concern. “It’s a good step for safety, but the challenge will be keeping the shelters clean, well-staffed, and humane,” said Neha Gupta of Sector 46. Rajiv Mehta from DLF Phase 3 said sterilisation must continue alongside relocation: “If sterilisation stops, the problem will simply return in a few years.”

Animal welfare advocates have questioned the feasibility and ethics of mass relocation. “Right now, it’s absolutely untenable,” said local environmentalist Vaishali Rana. “This crisis exists because MCG and RWAs failed to conduct mandated vaccination and sterilisation drives. Forcing all dogs into shelters without the resources to care for them will be cruel and unworkable.”

In reaction to the SC order, co-founder of Janm Foundation, Smita Joshi, said, “This isn’t ‘management’ — it’s removal and culling. History shows culling is cruel, ineffective, and creates fresh waves of unsterilized, unvaccinated dogs, raising rabies risk. Even at 1,000 catches a day, it would take 300 days — plenty of time for births to replace removals.”

Targets and expansion plans

MCG sterilised more than 20,000 dogs this year and plans to hire four new agencies, one for each city zone, after current contracts expire in December, officials said. Even so, officials acknowledged that creating adequate shelter space for tens of thousands of animals while ensuring their welfare will be a huge logistical and financial challenge.

For now, the corporation is awaiting the Supreme Court’s official communication, a document that could trigger one of the largest urban animal relocation efforts attempted in the region, officials said.