Rajasthan has become the first state in India to launch a structured system for managing stray dogs, following the recent directions of the Supreme Court. The Department of Autonomous Governance has instructed all municipal bodies, including corporations, councils, and municipalities, to strictly follow the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023.

As part of these guidelines, every ward and locality will now have designated feeding points for stray dogs. Local bodies have also been asked to work closely with resident welfare associations and animal welfare groups to ensure proper arrangements. Even in areas reporting rabies cases, food and water will continue to be provided at these feeding points.

Ravi Jain, Secretary of the Local Self Government Department, said, “Rajasthan is the first state to introduce detailed orders that balance both public safety and animal welfare in line with the Supreme Court’s ruling.”

All municipal bodies are required to submit compliance reports to the state government within 30 days. The order further directs cities to set up sterilisation units, rabies vaccination centres, and deworming facilities. Stray dogs will be treated, sterilised, tagged, and then released back into their original localities. To maintain transparency, CCTV cameras will be installed at sterilisation and ABC centres.

The government has made it clear that only trained teams will be allowed to handle the dogs, either with nets or by hand, and no dog below six months will undergo sterilisation. Each city will also form a monitoring committee that will include NGO representatives and animal welfare workers, responsible for reviewing progress and record-keeping of sterilisation, vaccination, deaths, and feeding.

The Animal Welfare Board of India has fixed Rs 200 for catching each dog and Rs 1,450 for sterilisation, food, and post-surgery care.

Last week, the Supreme Court underlined that simply sending all stray dogs to shelters without considering infrastructure would be “impossible to comply with.” It added that, as per the ABC Rules, sterilised, vaccinated, and dewormed dogs should be released back into their own localities.

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