Bengaluru’s five new corporations are racing against time to plug gaps in stray dog management and comply with the directives issued by the Supreme Court on November 7. However, several shortcomings remain, especially regarding the ‘area designation’ required for sheltering dogs.
The apex court issued a slew of directives, including stocking anti-rabies vaccines in hospitals and raising awareness about bite-prevention measures and post-bite protocols. A major directive concerns strays taking shelter in institutions such as schools, colleges, hospitals, and private companies, which must now be removed and relocated to shelters designated by municipalities.
To implement all these measures, the corporations have just seven more weeks.
Land identification
K.N. Ramesh, Commissioner of the South City Corporation, told The Hindu that they are searching for open spaces to establish new shelters. North City Commissioner Pommala Sunil Kumar has issued similar instructions to his officials. Other commissioners are also looking for space, according to reliable sources.
However, land designation for this purpose is a major concern in cities like Bengaluru, as flagged by activists and corporation officials who spoke to The Hindu anonymously. Even before the Supreme Court’s directions, city corporations had been searching for land parcels to establish ABC centres, but had failed repeatedly.
A Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) official noted that in the absence of free space, they would be forced to invest more in renting or other alternatives, which would strain the finances of the new corporations .
Meanwhile, all corporations held a series of meetings with the health, transport, and education departments to gather data on stray dogs within their jurisdictions. “All institutions have been issued circulars to enumerate stray dogs. Subsequently, we will begin developing infrastructure, capturing, and relocating stray dogs after the neutering and vaccination processes,” Mr. Ramesh said.
Against rules
However, activists believe the relocation process violates existing laws and the directive stems from a shallow understanding of the issue. Arun Prasad, an animal rights activist, said the Supreme Court order conflicts with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, which bar shifting stray dogs from one place to another.
“The directives must be repealed because they go against the law of the land. Moreover, who will monitor whether corporations are following all the rules during the relocation process, as the Supreme Court has not clarified that?” Mr. Prasad asked.
Mr. Prasad’s concern arises from past instances of how the erstwhile Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) handled neutered dogs.
The major issue was that vendors picked up dogs from one location and released them in another after ABC procedures, flouting the rules. In the present situation, in the absence of proper infrastructure to keep dogs in captivity, vendors could intentionally relocate them to different streets instead of designated shelters.
“The move could be a major setback to the government’s vision of making the country rabies-free by 2030. The possibility of bites increases when dogs are shifted to different places because of heightened aggression,” he added.
If dogs are relocated to different streets, the numbers will rise in certain areas, creating food scarcity and thereby increasing bite incidents, activists pointed out.
Illogical approach
Rashmi D’Souza, who runs a private school in South Bengaluru, said that the ruling to remove dogs from institutions is illogical.
“In my school, we have 15 dogs, and we have never seen a single bite incident. We have created a pond for them to drink water, we feed them, and we have vaccinated them,” Ms. Rashmi told The Hindu. “In fact, having dogs on our campus has helped raise awareness among students about how to deal with dogs,” she added. According to Rashmi, the Supreme Court should have consulted institutions to determine whether they wanted the dogs removed.
Meanwhile, corporations have instructed all educational institutions in the city to appoint a nodal officer who will ensure no dog enters the premises henceforth. If dogs are found inside, the nodal officer will be held accountable.
Published – November 15, 2025 09:52 pm IST
