Actor Raveena Tandon says poor sterilisation drives by civic bodies are to blame for Delhi-NCR’s stray dog crisis.
The Supreme Court’s recent order on relocating all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters has ignited a strong public debate. The court gave civic authorities eight weeks to round up strays and house them in dedicated shelters. No captured dog will return to the streets. The decision comes amid rising cases of dog bites in the region.
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A bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued the order while hearing a petition filed suo motu on the “alarming and disturbing” surge in stray dog attacks. The court warned that anyone obstructing the drive would face contempt proceedings. Authorities must set up a helpline to register dog bite complaints. They must also capture the offending animal within four hours of any complaint.
Actor Raveena Tandon, known for her love for dogs, reacted strongly to the verdict. She said that blaming the animals was unfair. “Where the population of indies has increased, it is honestly not these poor dogs to be blamed,” she told HT City. She blamed failed vaccination and sterilisation drives by local bodies for the current situation.
“If that was a success, or the money and infrastructure were set properly, I don’t think we would have reached this point,” she added. Tandon stressed that local bodies are responsible for strays in their communities. She called sterilisation the “need of the hour” to prevent such crises.
The relocation order highlights a bigger issue — the lack of a consistent animal welfare policy in urban India. Shelter infrastructure remains inadequate. Funds allocated for sterilisation often go unspent or misused. Civic coordination is weak, leading to irregular drives and unchecked breeding.
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Experts argue that relocation alone cannot solve the problem. Without parallel sterilisation, shelters may quickly become overcrowded. This could lead to poor living conditions for animals and further public health risks.
On the work front, Raveena Tandon was last seen in the wedding drama Ghudchadi. She will next appear in Welcome To The Jungle, which is currently in production.
The way Delhi-NCR handles animal management is probably going to change as a result of the SC's ruling. Some believe it is essential for public safety, while others worry that overcrowding in shelters could negatively impact the well-being of dogs.
For the time being, civic organizations are under pressure to carry out the plan and disprove Raveena Tandon's claims of their shortcomings.
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