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Ex-Minister Urges Delhi to Tackle Stray Dog Menace, Citing Rabies Risks
31 Jul
Summary
- Former minister demands fines, FIRs for feeding stray dogs in public
- Cites Mumbai's crackdown on pigeon feeding as precedent
- Calls for compensation for dog bite victims, stray dog census

In July 2025, former Union minister Vijay Goel has once again called on the Delhi government and Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to address the escalating stray dog crisis in the city. Citing a recent example from Mumbai, Goel has demanded that authorities impose fines and file FIRs against people feeding stray dogs in public spaces.
Goel emphasized the serious public health concerns, noting that dog bites can transmit the fatal rabies disease, which claims over 20,000 lives in India annually. He questioned why FIRs can be filed against pigeon feeders, but not those feeding stray dogs on the streets. Referring to a Bombay High Court order that termed mass pigeon feeding a public nuisance, Goel noted that the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) was directed to register FIRs against violators.
The former minister reiterated his five-point plan to tackle the issue, which includes providing compensation for dog bite victims, setting up a toll-free helpline for complaints, imposing penalties and FIRs for public feeding, conducting an immediate stray dog census, and amending the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules with better manpower and funding. He also called for the deployment of civil defense volunteers and police to stop the public feeding of stray dogs.