Mumbai: 90,600 Stray Dogs, Eight Shelters, Court Orders Relocation
Mumbai: 90,600 Stray Dogs, Eight Shelters, Court Orders Relocation
With over 90,600 stray dogs and only eight shelters, Mumbai faces a relocation challenge as the Supreme Court pushes sterilisation and vaccination.
Mumbai currently counts 90,600 stray dogs, officials say, a number that reflects a long-running challenge for the city’s animal-control program. A census conducted 11 years ago counted 95,752 stray dogs, and thanks to the animal birth control program started in 2014, the population has dipped by about 5,000. Now the city faces a fresh push after a Supreme Court directive ordered the relocation of stray canines to designated shelters following sterilisation and vaccination, prompted by an alarming rise in dog bite cases across institutional areas, railway stations, hospitals and other crowded spaces.
At present, eight shelters serve the city, a capacity described as insufficient for the scale of the problem. Civic officials say more shelters are needed to implement the court’s order, and to ensure dogs are sterilised, vaccinated and kept in humane facilities rather than roaming public spaces. The eight shelters face capacity constraints because, historically, dogs were released after sterilisation rather than kept under long-term custody.
The public health dimension is growing more urgent as bite incidents impact schools, transit hubs and healthcare facilities. Officials emphasise that a robust relocation-and-sterilisation plan, combined with expanded shelter capacity and sustained vaccination, is essential to reduce bite risk and improve animal welfare. The administration is tasked with addressing logistical and funding hurdles while balancing welfare concerns with the safety of residents.
In the coming weeks, authorities are expected to outline how new shelters will be created, how dogs will be transported and monitored, and how vaccination and sterilisation will be scaled up citywide. The goal is a sustainable framework that protects the public and offers humane care for the canine population, while meeting judicial directives.
Cover image source: Only eight shelters to accommodate over 90,000 stray dogs in Mumbai 🔗
