Delhi Drafts Uniform SOP for Street Dog Sterilisation and Vaccination

In a bid to curb rabies and curb the ever‑growing street‑dog population, Delhi’s municipal bodies are busy sketching out a single, uniform standard operating procedure. The draft – a tidy, step‑by‑step guide – lays out how dogs should be humanely trapped, sterilised, given anti‑rabies shots and then released back to the exact corner of the city they were taken from.

The move comes against a backdrop of relentless judicial scrutiny. The Supreme Court, and more recently the Delhi High Court, have been pressing the capital to obey the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and to keep the rabies menace at bay. During a recent hearing, the bench highlighted a roadmap prepared by renowned animal‑welfare activist Gauri Maulekhi, who is acting as amicus curiae. Her plan, the court noted, is already proving its worth.

“The model SOP can be shared with the Supreme Court and it can send it to all other High Courts, which can adopt it. Because it has been successful,” the judges observed, underscoring the practical impact of the draft.

Following an order dated 5 October, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) was instructed to weave Maulekhi’s recommendations into a formal roadmap and submit it for judicial approval. The municipal bodies – MCD and the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) – have already run pilot sterilisation camps in Anand Vihar and in circles 6 and 14 of NDMC. According to officials, the results were “satisfactory”, with dozens of dogs sterilised and immunised.

Ms. Maulekhi has drawn up detailed, line‑by‑line instructions for both the MCD and NDMC to replicate the pilot. Her proposal suggests extending the Anand Vihar model to all 14 Animal Birth Control centres across Delhi, a step that could dramatically speed up the city’s sterilisation drive.

What’s more, the High Court hinted that the scheme could blossom into a broader movement, with local residents themselves taking the lead in identifying stray dogs, alerting authorities and even participating in the capture‑and‑release process. In theory, a community‑driven approach would ensure that dogs are returned to the very lanes they call home, reducing the risk of them wandering into traffic or other hazards.

If the SOP receives the green light, Delhi could set a precedent for other Indian cities grappling with similar canine‑overpopulation and rabies challenges. The hope is that a clear, humane, and replicable framework will turn a long‑standing public‑health issue into a manageable, community‑supported endeavour.