Centre Rolls Out Strategic Plan For Humane Stray Dog Management and Rabies Elimination

New Delhi: To ensure humane and effective dog population management, the Central government has framed the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

These Rules align with the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) standards for the Capture–Neuter–Vaccinate–Release (CNVR) approach. Under the Rules, Local Bodies are responsible for implementing sterilisation and vaccination programmes in collaboration with animal welfare organisations.

Informing the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Professor SPSingh Baghel, said, “The sterilisation programme is an ongoing process being implemented by Urban Local Bodies. An advisory was issued by the Secretary (Animal Husbandry and Dairying) to all Chief Secretaries on November 11, 2024. Subsequently, on July 16, 2025, the Secretaries of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, and Ministry of Panchayati Raj jointly issued an advisory reiterating that sterilisation of stray dogs is central to dog population management.”

“The advisory urged Urban Local Bodies to establish Animal Birth Control units and undertake large-scale sterilisation programmes, covering at least 70 per cent of stray dogs,” he added.

Further, the Central government has revised the existing Scheme for Birth Control and Immunisation of stray dogs and stray cats, which is being implemented through the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) from the current financial year.

Financial assistance of up to Rs 800 per dog and Rs 600 per cat is provisioned for SPCAs and Local Bodies to conduct ABC programmes as per the ABC Rules, 2023, as per LS data.

Infrastructure support: A one-time grant of Rs 2 crore is provisioned for State-run veterinary hospitals to develop facilities such as surgical theatres, kennels, and recovery units.

The AWBI is providing assistance for establishment of small animal shelters up to Rs 15 lakh and Rs 27 lakh for large animals to Urban Local Bodies, Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and recognised Animal Welfare Organisations.

Further, for proper implementation of the Rules, the AWBI has issued several advisories and circulars. In addition, under the Livestock Health and Disease Control Programme (LHDCP), the subcomponent Assistance to States for Control of Animal Diseases (ASCAD) provides States with support for the procurement of anti-rabies vaccines.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), under the National Rabies Control Programme (NRCP), is implementing the National Action Plan for Dog-Mediated Rabies Elimination (NAPRE), launched on September 28, 2021, with multiple initiatives aimed at achieving rabies elimination.