Mumbai: In response to the increasing number of stray dogs in Mumbai, the Municipal Corporation has started a dog neutering program, effectively neutering 42,000 stray dogs over the last two and a half years. By June 2025, a total of 10,372 dogs will have been neutered.
In addition to neutering, efforts for rabies vaccination are also emphasized. Neutering is the only lawful way to manage stray dog populations, a change from earlier inhumane methods due to rising awareness of animal welfare issues. Since 1994, the Municipal Corporation has regularly conducted neutering and rabies vaccination initiatives.
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The growth in food accessibility for dogs has been linked to a rise in their numbers. The efforts, led by Municipal Deputy Commissioner Chanda Jadhav, include several organisations, like ‘All About Them’ and others. Between 1994 and June 2025, a total of 430,595 stray dogs have been sterilized, with 42,175 of them recorded from 2023 to June 2025, comprising 14,954 in 2023, 16,849 in 2024, and 10,372 in 2025.
Significantly, from 1994 to December 2023, the total municipal sterilizations amounted to 403,374, with 148,084 dogs being neutered during the period from 2014 to 2023. The highest number of neutering occurred in 2017 with 24,290 dogs, whereas 2015 recorded the least with 6,414.
Even though an increasing number of stray dogs presents threats to the ecosystem and possible conflicts between dogs and humans, the issue is controllable due to the continuous initiatives by the Municipal Corporation.
