Hyderabad tops metros in sterilised strays as Telangana meets Supreme Court rules
HYDERABAD: Telangana has emerged as one of the few states to fully comply with the Supreme Court’s directions on stray dog control, filing its affidavits under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023. Officials said that three affidavits by the animal husbandry department, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and rural local bodies were submitted outlining sterilisation, vaccination and monitoring measures.
Hyderabad tops metro cities in sterilisation
According to state officials, Hyderabad has sterilised more stray dogs than any other Indian metropolitan city. Of the 3.8 lakh dogs under GHMC control, around 3 lakh have been sterilised, along with over 40,000 in smaller towns. Officials described the figures as evidence of Telangana’s structured animal birth control programme, supported by civic bodies and NGOs.
Dr Jasleen Kaur, a Hyderabad-based veterinarian, said sterilisation combined with vaccination and tracking offers the strongest public health protection. “Goa is proof. They track every vaccinated dog and revaccinate yearly. That’s why the state is rabies-free,” she said. Telangana, she added, has seen roughly three lakh dog bite cases in recent years and about 36 deaths linked to rabies.
Humane release and civic coordination
Srinivas Reddy, deputy director in GHMC’s Charminar zone, said each of the six city zones conducts daily sterilisation drives. “After sterilisation, dogs are returned to the same locality as required by the Supreme Court rules. Residents often resist, but we counsel them before release,” he said.
While some residents oppose the return of strays, others care for them voluntarily. Suzana Sulekha Neeraj Kumar, a Hyderabad resident, cooks for about 15 dogs near her home, spending around ₹20,000 a month on food and medicines. “People argue, but I still cook. It is food for the hungry,” she said.
Education and monitoring to prevent rabies
Reddy said GHMC issues pet licences, provides free anti-rabies vaccines and partners with NGOs for rescue and shelter activities. The civic body also conducts awareness drives and school sessions to teach children how to respond to stray dogs safely.
Dr Kaur noted that while most sterilisation centres follow protocol, a few lapses undermine the programme’s impact. “Some centres send back healthy dogs. A few careless ones spoil the picture,” she said. She added that tracking and post-surgery monitoring were essential to prevent disease and aggression among released animals.
Telangana officials said the next phase of the ABC implementation would expand to rural areas, ensuring uniform monitoring across all local bodies.
