Rabies Control vs. Stray Dog Population Debate, A Public Health Perspective for India

Introduction

The debate on how India should deal with its massive stray dog population has resurfaced with intensity, particularly after a tragic incident in Delhi where a six-year-old child died due to rabies following a dog bite. The Supreme Court is currently examining whether stray dogs should remain on the streets or be rounded up into pounds, but this legal discussion only scratches the surface of a far deeper problem.

At its heart, the real challenge is not stray dogs themselves, but rabies control. India records the highest number of rabies deaths in the world, with an estimated 18,000 to 20,000 fatalities annually, accounting for one-third of global deaths. Despite having strong public health systems for vaccination against other diseases, rabies remains neglected, underfunded, and poorly managed.

The question, therefore, is: Should the focus be on eliminating stray dogs, or should India prioritize rabies eradication through coordinated vaccination campaigns, surveillance, and better public health infrastructure? This issue sits at the crossroads of public health, animal welfare, law, and ethics.

India’s Rabies Burden

India carries a disproportionate share of the global rabies burden:

• One in every three rabies deaths globally occurs in India.

• Over two-thirds of rabies deaths in Asia are from India.

• WHO data estimates 18,000–20,000 rabies deaths annually in India.

By contrast, China, which has nearly 40 million stray dogs, reported an average of just 433 rabies cases annually between 2015 and 2021. In fact, rabies deaths in China declined from 3,300 in 2007 to fewer than 300 in 2020. This stark difference demonstrates that stray dogs are not the core problem—poor rabies control is.

The Stray Dog Situation in India

India is home to over 60 million stray dogs, a number that continues to rise due to inadequate sterilization and lack of coordinated population management. These animals live in close contact with communities, often serving as guardians against intruders and wild animals, but also posing risks of bites and disease transmission.

The Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2001 (updated in 2023), aimed at controlling the population through sterilization, inadvertently worsened the situation. The rules prevent the euthanasia of rabid dogs, requiring them to be isolated until they die, often after prolonged suffering. Furthermore, dogs that bite are removed only after lengthy bureaucratic investigations, leading to community frustration and reduced support for stray dogs.

As a result, rabies cases and dog bites have risen, and public patience has worn thin.

The Public Health Approach: Focus on Rabies, Not Dogs

Experts argue that eliminating stray dogs would have minimal effect on rabies cases. Even if all stray dogs in Delhi were removed, rabies deaths would fall by less than 2% nationwide.

Instead, a more productive public health strategy would be:

1. Mass Vaccination of Dogs: Rabies is unique among infectious diseases—it can be prevented post-exposure through vaccination. Vaccinating stray dogs can cut transmission dramatically.

2. Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP) for Humans: Ensuring access to vaccines for bite victims within hours of exposure is critical.

3. Improved Surveillance: Systematic monitoring of dog bites and rabies spread.

4. One-Health Approach: Closer coordination between health and veterinary sectors, as adopted in China.

India has a long record of success in controlling infectious diseases through vaccination campaigns—smallpox, polio, maternal tetanus, and most recently Covid-19. Applying the same commitment to rabies could help the country achieve WHO’s goal of “zero rabies deaths by 2030.”

The China Example: A Model for India

China’s success in reducing rabies offers valuable lessons:

• Strong Coordination: Human and animal health departments worked together, a true “One Health” model.

• Massive Vaccination Drive: China administers 12–15 million rabies vaccine doses annually, at a cost of about $1 billion.

• Access to PEP: Vaccines are widely available for people exposed to bites.

• Community Participation: Public support was garnered through education campaigns rather than punitive measures.

China demonstrated that rabies control is possible without mass killing of stray dogs, proving the focus should remain on disease, not animals.

Failures of India’s Current Rabies Control Programme

India’s rabies programme faces structural flaws:

• Poor Funding: Unlike polio or tuberculosis programmes, rabies receives little financial attention.

• Fragmented Responsibility: It straddles two ministries—health and animal husbandry—resulting in poor coordination.

• Weak Implementation of ABC: Sterilization programmes are patchy, often plagued by corruption and inefficiency.

• Low Vaccine Coverage: Both human and canine vaccination remain inadequate.

• Poor Public Awareness: Many victims delay treatment or seek traditional cures, worsening outcomes.

This lack of seriousness has made rabies control a national failure, despite isolated successes in states like Goa and cities like Mumbai.

Ethical and Legal Dimensions

The debate also highlights complex ethical questions:

1. Right to Human Safety: Citizens have the right to live without fear of dog bites and rabies, especially vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.

2. Animal Rights and Welfare: Millions of dogs cannot simply be exterminated; most do not bite and coexist peacefully with communities.

3. ABC Rules: By protecting dogs from euthanasia, these rules intended to be compassionate but inadvertently created an untenable situation where neither humans nor animals are safe.

4. Cultural Context: India’s deep respect for all life complicates policies that involve culling animals, unlike some other countries.

The challenge, therefore, is to design a balanced approach that protects both humans and animals.

Towards a Practical Solution

A more balanced, science-based public health solution would include:

1. Revising ABC Rules: Allow removal (and humane euthanasia) of rabid dogs and repeat attackers.

2. Mass Vaccination Drives: Cover all stray dogs, with annual booster shots.

3. Stray Dog Sterilization: Properly funded, transparent sterilization programmes to reduce long-term population growth.

4. Universal Access to PEP: Ensure all health centers stock vaccines and immunoglobulin.

5. Public Education: Awareness campaigns on bite management, first aid, and vaccination.

6. Community Participation: Harness support from citizens who already feed and shelter strays, making them partners in vaccination and monitoring.

7. Data and Surveillance: Centralized monitoring of bite incidents and rabies outbreaks.

The Way Forward

India has a choice: continue with a failing, fragmented approach that fuels conflict between dog lovers and victims, or adopt a rational, science-based model that prioritizes public health while respecting animal welfare.

The path forward must balance compassion with pragmatism:

• In the short term, replace misguided ABC rules with common-sense guidelines that allow humane management of rabid and dangerous dogs.

• In the medium term, roll out nationwide dog vaccination and sterilization drives, supported by community volunteers.

• In the long term, aim to eliminate rabies deaths altogether, ensuring both humans and animals are safe.

If India takes this path, it can achieve WHO’s 2030 target of zero rabies deaths, proving once again that determined public health interventions can overcome even entrenched problems.

Conclusion

The debate over stray dogs in India cannot be reduced to a binary choice of “dogs vs. humans.” The real enemy is rabies, not the dogs themselves. By focusing on mass vaccination, better surveillance, and accessible post-bite treatment, India can protect both its citizens and its stray dog population.

The lesson from China is clear: rabies control is possible without mass killing of stray dogs. What is needed is strong political will, adequate funding, and effective coordination. With the right approach, India can move closer to a future where no child dies of rabies and no community lives in fear of stray dogs.

Five Key Questions and Answers

Q1: Why is focusing on rabies control more effective than removing stray dogs?
A: Removing stray dogs reduces rabies deaths by less than 2% nationwide, while mass vaccination and better post-exposure treatment can eliminate most rabies deaths, as shown by global best practices.

Q2: How has China succeeded in controlling rabies despite a large stray dog population?
A: China adopted a one-health approach, ensuring close coordination between human and animal health departments, administering 12–15 million vaccine doses annually, and making PEP widely accessible.

Q3: What are the shortcomings of India’s current rabies control programme?
A: It is poorly funded, fragmented across ministries, hampered by ineffective ABC rules, lacks adequate vaccination coverage, and suffers from weak public awareness and poor surveillance.

Q4: What reforms are needed in the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules?
A: Rules should allow for humane removal of rabid and biting dogs from communities, streamline sterilization efforts, and integrate public health goals with animal welfare.

Q5: What is the long-term goal for India’s rabies strategy according to WHO?
A: WHO aims for zero rabies deaths globally by 2030, a target India can achieve through mass vaccination of dogs, universal human vaccine access, and coordinated one-health strategies.