Friday, April 24


Authorities in the state capital have resolved over 31,000 public complaints related to street dogs through sterilisation, vaccination and community engagement.

For representation only (HT File Photo)
For representation only (HT File Photo)

The complaints come from the command centre of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme as well as through WhatsApp.

The ABC programme, started in 2019 and implemented by Humane World for Animals (an NGO) in collaboration with the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC), has emerged as a model for balancing public safety with animal welfare.

During a session organised at the ABC centre on Friday, Humane World For Animals revealed that 34% of dogs are caught using the hand-catching method and the remainder are caught by net or other methods.

Dr Piyush Patel, who heads the street dog programme, said that the impact of sterilisation will be witnessed in the next seven years.

He said that they developed an application where dogs picked for sterilisation can be checked and tracked to ensure they are dropped back to the same location after sterilisation.

Patel added that currently, 80% of people in the state capital are neutral and they neither love nor hate dogs. He said the community is now more aware of the ABC centre and the actual meaning of sterilisation.

Non-lethal interventions

Officials said the programme has effectively handled more than 31,000 complaints by adopting non-lethal interventions such as sterilisation, anti-rabies vaccination and public awareness drives. The approach has reduced conflict between residents and street dogs while ensuring compliance with animal welfare norms.

Since its launch in 2019, teams have sterilised and vaccinated over one lakh street dogs across the city. Authorities confirmed that the programme has crossed the critical 80% sterilisation threshold, necessary to stabilise street dog populations. A 2024 survey pegged the coverage at 84.3%.

Officials credited the programme’s success to strong community participation. More than 475 “Abhay Sankalp” groups, comprising over 15,000 residents, assist in identifying unsterilised dogs, monitoring populations and managing designated feeding zones.

Global backing strengthens local initiative

Representatives from the Mars Impact Fund visited Lucknow on Friday to review the programme’s progress and interact with volunteers and field teams. The fund supports the initiative as part of its global effort to promote sustainable companion animal welfare.

Authorities organised dog behaviour awareness sessions for children during the visit, aiming to reduce fear-driven reactions and encourage safer interactions with animals. Officials said such initiatives are key to preventing future conflicts.



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