Science has long settled dogs issue: sterilise and vaccinate

Picture this: a nation recording zero human rabies deaths; another achieving near-total sterilisation and vaccination of freeroaming dogs; cities documenting sustained declines in conflict, not through fear, but disciplined science.

- Maneka Gandhi

This is not an aspiration. It is evidence. It proves, unequivocally, that sterilisation combined with vaccination is the only sustainable strategy for dog population management and rabies control.

This is not just the view of animal welfare advocates. It is the settled position of leading global health authorities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) identify sterilisation and vaccination as the foundation of successful dog population programmes. Their guidance is rooted in decades of global epidemiological research.

India's own experience reinforces this consensus.

In Lucknow, a structured municipal programme, supported by an experienced animal welfare organisation, has sterilised and vaccinated over 84% of the city's community dogs. This coverage exceeds international thresholds required to stabilise populations. Ward-level assessments recorded fewer new litters and nuisance complaints in highcoverage zones, consistent with global guidance. Lucknow's lesson is not speed, but method: ward-wise planning, trained veterinary teams, institutional oversight and continuity.

In Uttarakhand's urban centres, collaboration between local authorities and veterinary partners expanded coverage. Since 2018, state-supported programmes sterilised and vaccinated 46,000 dogs, reducing the number of puppies born on the streets. This reflects a fundamental public health principle: continuity delivers results; sporadic action does not.