Amid continuing public anxiety over dog bites and rabies, Student for streeties, a student-led organisation, on Saturday argued that Karnataka already has a workable, scientific solution but is failing to implement it properly.
At a press conference, representatives from student groups and animal welfare organisations said the State government should fully adopt and uniformly implement the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, instead of spending vast sums on dog shelters or resorting to illegal dog pick-ups. They stressed that indiscriminate catching and confinement of dogs not only violates the law, but also worsens public safety by disrupting stable stray dog populations, which are known to reduce aggression and prevent new, unvaccinated dogs from entering an area.
They said they sought to meet with the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary to push for policy clarity and enforcement.
Harini Raghavan of Citizens for Animal Birth Control requested the State government to lead by example by committing to the ABC Rules, 2023. Referring to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s recent post on ‘X’ endorsing ABC norms, she said the government should back this position with an affidavit in court and announce a Statewide rollout of the programme.
She pointed to Bengaluru’s ABC model as proof that sustained sterilisation and vaccination can control dog populations and reduce rabies risk without cruelty.
Concerns were also raised over current practices. Pratham, a law student, said existing laws were being selectively ignored. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and the ABC Rules clearly prohibit the forced relocation of dogs to shelters, especially when most facilities are already overcrowded.
Despite this, dogs continue to be picked up illegally, he said.
They argued that large-scale investments in shelters were neither effective nor necessary and claimed that proven ABC measures cost a fraction of what was being proposed for new facilities and deliver better long-term results for both public health and animal welfare.
They also demanded the immediate release of over 200 dogs allegedly being held unlawfully in ABC shelters, stating that such detention violates the ABC Rules.
Actor Pooja Gandhi, in a video message, also appealed to the government to follow the law and adopt humane, science-based methods for managing stray dog populations.
Published – December 13, 2025 08:37 pm IST
