Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return: Is the CNVR model the answer to Delhi’s stray dog dilemma?

The SC has reversed its earlier order to remove strays, now directing authorities to deworm and vaccinate them — a move echoing the Netherlands’ CNVR model

The stray dog debate in Delhi has been a hot topic for weeks, and the Supreme Court has once again hit pause on its own earlier ruling. On August 11, a two-judge bench had directed authorities in Delhi-NCR to clear out stray dogs “at the earliest” and move them into shelters. That sparked protests, outrage, and an avalanche of opinions.

New Delhi: Stray dogs at a street at Shalimar Bagh area, in New Delhi, Monday, Aug. 11, 2025. The Supreme Court on Monday directed authorities to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR localities and put them in shelters while saying the canines won't return to the streets. (PTI Photo/Shahbaz Khan) (PTI08_11_2025_000447A) (PTI)

Fast forward to today (August 22), and the apex court has shifted gears. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and N.V. Anjaria now ordered, “The earlier prohibition on release shall remain in abeyance. The dogs, once dewormed and vaccinated, shall be returned to the same area.” They further stressed that aggressive dogs or those carrying rabies won’t be released, and instead must be housed in separate facilities. To make sure there’s consistency across the country, all States and Union Territories have also been roped in to help create a uniform policy.

Could this be India’s version of the Netherlands’ CNVR (Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return)?

If this plan sounds familiar, that’s because it is. The approach — known worldwide as CNVR (Collect, Neuter, Vaccinate, Return) — has been tried with remarkable success elsewhere. In fact, Bhutan pulled off one of the biggest success stories in the region. Between 2021 and 2023, its “Nationwide Accelerated Dog Population Management and Rabies Control Programme” sterilised over 61,000 dogs (most of them free-ranging), vaccinated nearly 59,000 against rabies, and even microchipped 32,000 pets. The result? Over 150,000 strays were brought under control.

And then there’s the Netherlands — a country that now boasts zero stray dogs. Back in the 19th and early 20th centuries, they faced an overwhelming street dog problem. The turnaround came through a three-pronged strategy: a hefty tax on shop-bought dogs (forcing people to adopt instead), strict CNVR implementation, and even a “pet police” that cracks down on animal abuse with penalties as harsh as three years in prison or €16,000 in fines.

So, will India’s new CNVR-like model work as smoothly as Bhutan’s or the Netherlands’? That remains the big question that only time will answer.