Every Indian street has its dogs. The brown one asleep outside the chai stall. The pair who follow the watchman on his night rounds. The mother who has her puppies under the same parked car every monsoon.
India has roughly 1.5 crore street dogs, according to the 2019 Livestock Census. We share our lanes, markets and building gates with them. And right now, few topics divide neighbours more.
Some of us feed them every evening. Some of us cross the road to avoid them. Many of us have done both. I wrote Our Dogs, Our Streets for all of these people, and this blog is where that conversation continues.
Why the stray dog problem in India needs a calmer conversation
In 2024, India recorded about 37 lakh dog bite cases, according to Health Ministry figures shared in Parliament. Officially, 54 people died of suspected rabies that year. Researchers believe the real toll is far higher: a study led by ICMR’s National Institute of Epidemiology estimated about 5,700 rabies deaths a year.
Then came the courts. In August 2025, the Supreme Court ordered street dogs in Delhi-NCR to be picked up and kept in shelters. After nationwide protests, a larger bench revised that order within days. In May 2026, the court delivered its final judgment.
Each headline set off anger on both sides. Dog lovers felt attacked. Parents, cyclists and morning walkers felt ignored. Both had a point, and shouting has helped neither the people nor the dogs.
A book for people who love street dogs, and people who fear them
Most writing about stray dogs in India picks a side. This book doesn’t.
If you are afraid of dogs, you won’t be shamed here. Your fear is taken seriously, and the book shows what actually keeps you and your children safe. If you love them, you’ll find the facts that help you speak up for them, calmly, at your next RWA meeting.
The book opens on a rainy night, with a thin brown mother carrying her five puppies, one by one, from a flooded drain to the dry space under a truck. After the fifth trip she goes back to the drain once more, sniffing the black water, unsure she counted right. They cannot tell you their stories, so this book tries to speak for them.
What’s inside Our Dogs, Our Streets
- Who they are. The story of the Indie, or Indian pariah dog, from Neolithic burials to the faithful dog at the end of the Mahabharata.
- The fear, and the facts. Real numbers on dog bites and rabies in India, ten common myths, and why removing dogs has never worked.
- Stories from the street. A woman who hated dogs, a lane’s last night with its watchman, and a runaway boy and the dog who found him.
- Living together. Dog bite safety for children, two-wheeler riders and walkers, responsible feeding, sterilisation, and a 30-day plan for RWAs.
- What the law says. The Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023, BNS Section 325 and the Supreme Court’s 2025–26 directions, in plain language.
- A kinder India. Simple things anyone can do, starting tomorrow morning.
What the Supreme Court and the ABC Rules 2023 say
India’s approach to street dogs rests on the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. Dogs are picked up, sterilised, vaccinated against rabies and returned to the area they came from. The rules also ask housing societies and RWAs to set aside spots for feeding community dogs.
The Supreme Court’s May 2026 judgment upheld this framework. It also allowed dogs to be kept away from schools, hospitals and similar institutions, and permitted euthanasia only for dogs that are rabid, incurably ill or demonstrably dangerous. Separately, killing, poisoning or maiming an animal is a punishable offence under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
The book walks through what all of this means for you, whether you are a feeder, a parent or an RWA secretary.
How to stay safe around street dogs
Most bites happen when a dog feels cornered, is guarding food or puppies, or is in pain. A few habits prevent most incidents:
- If a dog chases you, stop. Running triggers the chase. Stand still, stay calm and walk away slowly once the dog loses interest.
- Give space to mothers, sleeping dogs and dogs that are eating. Teach children not to tease, pet or feed unfamiliar dogs.
- If you are bitten, act the same day. Wash the wound with soap and running water for 15 minutes, then go to a hospital for the anti-rabies vaccine. Rabies is almost always fatal once symptoms start, and almost entirely preventable before.
How to help street dogs in your neighbourhood
You don’t need to adopt a dog to make your street safer and kinder:
- Get them sterilised and vaccinated. Call your municipal corporation’s ABC programme or a local animal welfare group. Vaccinated, sterilised dogs are calmer, healthier and safer to live beside.
- Feed responsibly. One fixed spot, away from gates and play areas, at a fixed time, and clean up afterwards.
- Talk to the neighbour who is afraid. Most street dog conflicts are really conflicts between people.
What you’ll find on this blog
This blog will cover the questions people actually ask: what to do when a street dog is aggressive, how RWAs can handle stray dog complaints, what the latest Supreme Court orders mean, and stories of people and dogs who found a way to share a lane. Follow along on Instagram at @ourdogsourstreets too.
Read the book
Our Dogs, Our Streets: Why India’s street dogs deserve our love, and how we can live together is out now.
- Buy the PDF eBook and read it on your phone, tablet or computer, or send it to your Kindle.
- Get the Kindle edition on Amazon, delivered straight to your Kindle or the free Kindle app.
- Also available in Hindi: हमारे कुत्ते, हमारी गलियाँ.
Frequently asked questions
Are street dogs in India dangerous?
Most street dogs avoid trouble with people. Bites usually happen when a dog feels threatened, is protecting puppies or food, or is sick. Knowing these triggers, and supporting sterilisation and vaccination, prevents most incidents.
What should I do if a street dog bites me?
Wash the wound with soap and running water for 15 minutes and go to a hospital the same day for the anti-rabies vaccine. Don’t wait for symptoms.
Is it legal to feed street dogs in India?
Yes. The ABC Rules 2023 ask RWAs and housing societies to set aside feeding spots, and the Supreme Court’s 2025 orders called for designated feeding areas rather than feeding anywhere on the street.
I’m afraid of dogs. Is this book for me?
Yes. It takes your fear seriously and shows what actually keeps people safe.
Facts in this post: 2019 Livestock Census and Health Ministry bite figures via Al Jazeera; 2024 bite and rabies figures via Business Standard and The Week; Supreme Court judgment via Supreme Court Observer.