Bengaluru rushes to find space as Supreme Court orders shifting of stray dogs to shelters

With limited infrastructure to house stray dogs, the GBA begins scouting new locations and planning citywide measures after the Supreme Court directs removal of strays from public spaces.

The Supreme Court’s direction to move all stray dogs out of public spaces such as hospitals, schools, colleges and parks has put Bengaluru under pressure, with the city lacking the infrastructure required to house thousands of dogs. The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) has now started identifying land to set up new shelters, dog pounds and observation centres to comply with the mandate.

Currently, the city has only around eight Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres and a few observation facilities, which officials admit are far from adequate. Limited space has slowed down sterilisation work, prompting authorities to seek public support and explore all possible locations across the city. Institutions have been asked to report the number of dogs on their premises so that relocation and shelter planning can be carried out systematically.

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As per reports, GBA officials have instructed all five corporations to initiate surveys and identify dogs that need to be shifted. The aim is to build a network of shelters that can handle the growing population of strays, especially after several proposals made earlier by the BBMP failed to materialise. Plans to microchip stray dogs, implement community feeding zones and track neutering status did not progress due to poor response to tenders and the subsequent administrative transition to GBA.

Officials pointed out that many proposals were stalled during the shift from BBMP to the GBA, but emphasised that the immediate focus is on implementing the Supreme Court directive. Other initiatives will be revived based on priority once adequate infrastructure is created.

The urgency has increased after Bengaluru recorded at least three dog-bite incidents in the last three months, including one fatal case. Despite repeated complaints, residents say there has been little change on the ground, with several areas still reporting packs of aggressive strays.