The Lucknow Municipal Corporation's (LMC) long-running Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme has emerged as a national benchmark for humane and effective stray dog management. This recognition from the Supreme Court’s directives on stray animal control cites Lucknow’s method as a model to be replicated across India.
The Supreme Court in August 2025 issued an order to remove all stray dogs from public spaces in Delhi-NCR. The move sparked nationwide protests by animal rights activists and concerns about the ethics and logistics of such removals. In a subsequent hearing on August 22, 2025, the apex court modified its stance to endorse an approach involving the sterilisation, vaccination, and release of stray dogs back to their original territories. This, in a nutshell, is Lucknow’s ABC program.
The programme is based on a ‘capture, sterilise, vaccinate, and release’ model hailed as humane, scientifically grounded, and effective. The apex court directed municipalities nationwide to create dedicated feeding zones and helplines for strays, both of which have been integral to Lucknow’s approach for years. It also expanded the scope of the case to all states and union territories with the intention of creating a uniform pan-India policy for stray dog population management.
The success of the program
Launched in 2019, Lucknow’s ABC programme has achieved remarkable success. Through a partnership with NGOs like Humane World for Animals India, the LMC has sterilised and vaccinated over 84.3 per cent of the city’s stray dogs. The coverage surpassed the World Health Organisation’s 70 per cent benchmark necessary for effective rabies control.
According to civic officials, since the programme’s inception, the stray dog birth rate has nearly halved, dropping from eight newborns per 100 dogs in 2019 to under four in 2025. This indicated a significant impact on population growth despite the city’s expanding limits, which have increased the total stray population from 75,000 to nearly 1.2 lakh. Officials also note a sharp decline in lactating females- from 13 per cent in 2019 to just two per cent in 2025.
Daily operations involve the capture and operation on 60 to 65 dogs, followed by the distinctive V-shaped ear notch to mark sterilised and vaccinated animals visibly.
Despite the sterilisation cost rising from Rs 950 to Rs 1,250 per dog, the LMC has consistently funded the initiative, addressing over 28,000 dog-related complaints such as bites and attacks, which have notably decreased due to the intensified sterilisation and vaccination drives.
The programme was successful due to sustained community engagement through workshops, volunteer involvement, and educational campaigns fostered coexistence between the city’s human and canine residents.
ALSO READ
- Will your car be impounded? How SC move to allow action against Delhi-NCR's end-of-life vehicles will affect you
- Justice Yashwant Varma moves Supreme Court against Speaker’s impeachment panel, court flags procedural lapse
- Access to justice for common person is hampered by cost, delays: CJI Surya Kant
After the SC’s nod to the Lucknow program, the Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Department (UDD) has announced plans to replicate the Lucknow model throughout the state. Currently, Uttar Pradesh has 17 operational ABC centres, with two new centres scheduled to open in Lucknow and Ghaziabad as part of a Rs 34 crore state allocation for animal welfare.
The Lucknow ABC training centre, soon to be established, will train veterinary surgeons, civic officials, and field staff in the ‘capture, sterilise, vaccinate, release’ technique, making it the first of its kind in the country.
The LMC has also ordered a new census of the stray population and plans to utilise AI-enabled cameras to enhance the identification and capture process. The corporation is also building a dedicated stray dog shelter and aims to reach a 90 per cent sterilisation and vaccination coverage by the end of 2025.
However, challenges remain. A 2024 Lucknow court order to monitor the ABC programme was prompted by an increase in dog bite complaints, underlining the tension between ensuring human safety and maintaining humane treatment of animals. The court underscored the primacy of human life, a view shared by many residents. Yet, animal welfare advocates see the Supreme Court’s latest directive allowing sterilised dogs to live in their communities as a humane alternative to mass removal or culling.
For now, the LMC continues to deploy a multifaceted strategy that uses a methodical and data-driven approach, combined with cutting-edge technology and community participation, for compassionate stray dog management.
