In a significant move to address the growing stray dog population and rabies threat, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has finally approved the release of crucial funds for animal welfare organisations. The civic body's house on Tuesday cleared a long-pending proposal to disburse Rs 13.5 crore. This money will clear the unpaid dues of 13 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that operate 20 sterilisation centres across the national capital.
Financial Lifeline for Critical Animal Birth Control Work
The approval comes as a major relief for the NGOs, which had not received any payments for their sterilisation and immunisation work since March 2025. This delay occurred despite repeated directives from the Supreme Court urging civic agencies to intensify Animal Birth Control (ABC) programmes. Officials admitted that the budget holdup severely hampered operations, especially as no specific financial allocation was made for stray dog sterilisation and immunisation for the 2025-26 financial year.
Under the MCD's framework, NGOs and veterinary professionals are reimbursed Rs 1,000 per dog for each sterilisation and vaccination procedure. Payments are typically cleared within two to three months. According to the approved proposal, payments for 1.2 lakh stray dogs sterilised between April 2024 and February 2025 were already released. However, dues for 42,761 dogs treated between March and June 2025, amounting to Rs 4.2 crore, were pending.
The proposal also includes a projection to sterilise and immunise 1.4 lakh dogs between April 2025 and February 2026. "Based on this projection, a total allocation of Rs 13.5 crore, including the pending payments, was proposed," the official document stated.
New Monitoring Framework and Dedicated Shelter
Alongside the fund release, the MCD has introduced a stricter monitoring mechanism to ensure the effectiveness of the sterilisation drive. The proposal approved an additional Rs 1.5 crore for routine monitoring of microchips implanted in sterilised dogs. This will help verify the NGOs' claimed performance.
A new performance-linked penalty system has also been instituted:
- 2% of the NGO's annual payment will be deducted for every new birth detected in a dog that was supposedly sterilised.
- In cases of rabies-related human casualties linked to dogs from an NGO's area, 10% of the annual payable amount will be deducted.
In a parallel development, work has commenced on MCD's first dedicated shelter for permanently housing aggressive stray dogs that cannot be released back onto the streets. "The engineering department has started levelling work at the earmarked 2.5-acre plot in Dwarka Sector 23," said a veterinary department official. The facility, expected to be completed in about four months, will have the capacity to house 1,500 stray dogs.
Formalising Dog Feeding Points Across Wards
To manage community feeding and reduce human-animal conflict, the MCD's veterinary department has identified 423 designated dog feeding points across 130 of the city's 250 wards. Signage has been installed at 14 locations so far. Officials highlighted the need for funds to speed up the installation of boards at all identified spots. "Only after the boards are put up can we formally report violations to local police," an official noted.
Sunder Singh Tanwar, chairman of the house sub-committee on stray dogs, suggested that the department could use flex boards or seek support from local councillors to expedite the signage process. The comprehensive plan, combining fund release, monitoring, infrastructure, and public awareness, marks a concerted effort by the MCD to tackle Delhi's stray dog challenge in a systematic and humane manner, aligning with judicial mandates and public health necessities.
