Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has urged a major shift in how funds for stray dog management are utilised, suggesting that they be channelled directly to credible animal welfare organisations instead of municipalities.
Reacting to the Supreme Court’s recent order on the relocation of stray dogs in Delhi-NCR, Tharoor described it as a “thoughtful response to the problem that is affecting ordinary citizens in every city.” He stressed the need to “protect humans while being humane to dogs.”
Congress Leader Urges Direct Funding to NGOs for Effective Sterilisation and Sheltering
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor argued that the problem is not the lack of funding, but the reluctance or inability of local bodies to use allocated resources for sterilisation and sheltering. According to him, such funds often go unspent or are diverted away from areas where they are most needed.
This is a thoughtful response to the problem that is affecting ordinary citizens in every city. We need to protect humans while being humane to dogs. But one point no one mentions is that the flaw in our system is not lack of resources, but the unwillingness or inability of… https://t.co/HJCc09QCXr
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) August 13, 2025
He proposed that funds should instead go directly to NGOs and animal welfare groups with a proven track record of running shelters and implementing the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, as they are better equipped to achieve results.
SC Orders Swift Relocation of Stray Dogs in Delhi-NCR
Tharoor’s comments come in the wake of the Supreme Court’s August 11 directive to address what it called an “extremely grim” rise in dog bite incidents. A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ordered the permanent relocation of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR “at the earliest.”
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The court instructed Delhi authorities to build shelters for approximately 5,000 canines within six to eight weeks, with phased expansion thereafter. It also warned that any obstruction to the relocation drive could result in contempt proceedings against individuals or organisations.
Framing the apex court’s move as stemming from “understandable exasperation” over municipal inaction, Tharoor highlighted the urgent need for effective and humane solutions to manage the growing stray dog population.
