Former Union minister and BJP leader Vijay Goel, along with several Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWAs), staged a protest near Rajiv Chowk metro station on Saturday demanding that stray dogs be shifted to shelter homes and dog bite victims be paid adequate compensation.
The protestors carried placards with messages such as “Dog feed, people bleed”, “Stop feeding dogs on streets” and “Make India rabies-free”. They raised slogans like “Awara kutto se desh bachao (Save the country from stray dogs)” and called for removal of these canines from public spaces. Goel said RWAs from south and new Delhi joined the demonstration as dog bite incidents were reportedly rising in the city.
“The Supreme Court has ordered the release of dogs, but there are around 2,000 dog bite cases every day. Who will take responsibility — the court, NGOs feeding the dogs, or the Government?” the BJP leader asked.
He said many countries do not face street dog menace as they keep the strays in shelters. “We are all animal lovers, but not at the cost of human lives,” the former minister said, asserting that the Government should consider compensating dog bite victims.
According to Goel, nearly 6,000 RWAs support the demand but are not vocal.
“Those who call themselves dog lovers and oppose keeping them in shelters must adopt these strays,” he said.
Goel urged the apex court to reconsider its order and said that while the animal husbandry department looks after dogs, the health department must prioritise human safety.
“We are not asking for street dogs to be killed. We only request that they be kept in shelter homes with proper care,” he said.
He further claimed that the court’s directive on not feeding dogs in public places and relocating aggressive dogs to shelters were not being implemented effectively, as objections from animal rights activists have made enforcement difficult.
On August 22, a three-judge bench of the higher court modified that initial order.
It ruled that stray dogs, once sterilised, de-wormed and vaccinated, must be released back to the locations from which they were picked up, except in cases where the dogs are rabid or show aggressive behaviour. Additionally, the court mandated the creation of designated feeding zones in each municipal ward.
As per data, Delhi has reported 49 rabies deaths so far in 2025, with six of the victims being residents of the city. In 2024, the city recorded 62 rabies cases, three of which involved residents of the national capital, while the others hailed from different states, according to health department data accessed by PTI.
The data also highlighted the utilisation of Anti-Rabies Vaccine (ARV) and Anti-Rabies Serum (ARS) across various districts and anti-rabies hospitals in Delhi. In the most recent month, over 35,000 doses of ARV were administered, leaving a closing balance of more than 43,000 vials.
However, shortages were reported in some hospitals, including ESI-Mayapuri Phase-1, Polyclinic Bara Hindu Rao, PHC Vivekanandpuri, and HRH Hospital.
Similarly, the city used nearly 18,700 vials of ARS during the month, with shortages flagged at GTB Hospital, Lady Hardinge Medical College Hospital, NC Joshi Hospital, and Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital.