Three new dog shelters planned in Delhi; More than 54,000 stray animals were sterilized

Amid concerns over stray dog ​​management and public safety, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on Friday said it plans to set up three new dog shelters, one of which is underway in Dwarka, while two more have been proposed in Bela Road and Bijwasan, officials said.

According to official data, the civic body has so far sterilized and vaccinated 54,623 stray dogs under the ongoing Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme.

MCD commissioner Ashwini Kumar, who presented the civic body’s ₹16,530.50 crore budget for 2026-27 on Friday, announced the plan for dog shelters during a post-budget media interaction.

He said the Dwarka Sector-29 shelter is already under development, while two other facilities at Bela Road and Bijwasan are in the planning stage.

To house aggressive, ferocious and rabies infected dogs, the civic body has identified a three-acre plot in Dwarka where 1,000-1,500 dogs are expected to be housed, an official said, adding that the remaining two shelters will be developed in the upcoming phases.

These measures come in the backdrop of repeated observations by the judiciary directing civic agencies to speed up sterilization and vaccination and ensure proper shelter for stray animals to strike a balance between public safety and animal welfare.

This initiative also comes after the recent Supreme Court inquiry into the management of stray dogs in Delhi.

In August 2025, the apex court had directed civic authorities to capture all stray dogs and confine them to shelters. However, about ten days later, the court amended its order and allowed the release of sterilized and vaccinated dogs in their native areas.

Meanwhile, the MCD on Tuesday also approved a policy to impose strict penalties on NGO-run ABC centers if rabies cases or failed sterilization are reported in their allotted areas.

According to the “Significant Achievements of MCD” data, apart from stray dogs, the civic body has also captured 6,347 cattle and sent them to cow sheds, while 731 monkeys have been captured and shifted to Asola Bhati Mines Wildlife Sanctuary.