From Mumbai to Kochi: How Indian cities tackle stray dog menace; Netherlands ended it with 'benchmark model'

NEW DELHI: In a far-reaching decision aiming to deal with the problem of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court Monday directed govts and civic authorities to remove the canines from the streets and keep them confined to shelter homes.

How Indian cities, Netherlands handle stray dog issueMumbai: With 90,700 stray dogs in 2025 (up 4,400 since 2014), follows a sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination model in partnership with NGOs, without relocating or confining the animals.

Kolkata: 2024 standard operating procedure mandates feeding strays only in designated zones, twice a day — before 9am and after 9pm — with police enforcing the rules and making arrests in poisoning cases.Lucknow: Officials receive free helpline calls for dog-related incidents roughly once every two hours. In the past five years, the city recorded about 10,000 bite cases from pet dogs alone.Jaipur: Sterilises around 30 dogs a day.Chandigarh: Reported 10,621 bite cases in 2023. The city offers Rs 10,000 compensation for treatment and Rs 20,000 for flesh loss. It also fines Rs 5,000 for feeding six banned aggressive breeds and crosses, and Rs 20,000 for failing to leash, chip, and register dogs — the latter linked to property tax and water bills.

Kochi: Runs an Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre that releases sterilised strays within 48 hours, or holds aggressive dogs for 72 hours. The city aims to sterilise 2,000 dogs a month, treating 4,000–5,000 animals annually with 90% of its budget coming from NGOs. Its shelter houses 100 dogs at a time, with about 35,000 sterilised so far and has begun hiring more trainers and handlers.The NetherlandsThe Netherlands has eliminated its stray dog problem through a government-funded sterilisation programme covering over 70% of female dogs, strict animal welfare laws imposing up to three years’ jail and $16,000–$18,500 fines for abuse or abandonment, a high tax discouraging puppy purchases, and a nationwide adoption drive. Over 90% of Dutch households now adopt dogs.