2,000 Bites a Day: Why Delhi’s Dogs Are in Trouble

India’s Supreme Court issued a sweeping order to remove all stray dogs from the streets of Delhi, citing a public safety emergency after a sharp rise in dog bite cases.

Official figures from the 2012 Livestock Census list around 60,000 strays in the capital, but residents believe the real number is much higher.

The court has given the city just eight weeks to set up shelters, record each captured dog daily, and ensure none are released back onto the streets. A 24-hour helpline must also be created for reporting dog bites, and authorities are required to publicize where anti-rabies vaccines are available.

India accounts for more than one-third of global rabies deaths, according to the World Health Organization, and Delhi alone reports roughly 2,000 dog bites each day.

While many see the ruling as necessary to protect children and the elderly, others worry about the fate of the capital’s street dogs, some of which are well-fed, named by locals, and even wear winter jackets provided by neighborhood residents.