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The decision by the Supreme Court for city authorities in Delhi-NCR to move all stray dogs from residential areas to shelters has ignited a huge discussion. While animal advocates have criticized the decision as "cruel," some people support it, pointing to cases of stray dogs attacking both children and older adults. Amid this heated discussion, a significant question arises: Is it feasible to carry out the Supreme Court's order? Relocating a large number of stray dogs to shelters that have yet to be built would be a challenging task needing ample money and time. Other obstacles for city authorities trying to manage basic services like keeping neighborhoods tidy and drains functioning include a lack of workforce, dogs' natural territorial behaviors, and pushback from locals. According to the last official count conducted in 2009, around 560,000 stray dogs were living in Delhi. No similar survey has taken place in the last 16 years, but current estimates suggest the population may be closer to 1 million. Even if each shelter can accommodate 500 dogs, around 2,000 shelters would be necessary. At present, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) operates only 20 animal care facilities. These centers provide temporary care for the dogs after they are neutered and then returned to their locations. Even if these centers were transformed into complete shelters, they would only be able to care for roughly 5,000 dogs, which is less than 5 percent of what is needed.

The Supreme Court has instructed city authorities in Delhi NCR to move stray dogs to shelters and insisted that the streets must be "completely free of stray dogs." The authorities are expected to provide an update within eight weeks. However, the question remains: Where will these shelters for the dogs be located? Building these shelters will need a lot of resources and time, along with locations that are far from residential areas. Satya Sharma, the chair of the MCD's standing committee, stated that they would do everything they could to follow the court’s ruling, but acknowledged that creating shelters for dogs would take time due to difficulties in securing land.

The building of shelters is merely one of the many difficulties in carrying out the Supreme Court's order. The MCD has only about two to three vans available for catching dogs in each area, along with an insufficient number of trained workers. Therefore, gathering all stray dogs from residential areas will be more complicated than it sounds. Furthermore, animal lovers are bound to oppose such efforts, which could lead to stressful situations in residential communities. Another issue is providing food for lakhs of dogs in the shelters every day, which could easily cost local authorities hundreds of crores each year. These shelters will also need animal ambulances, vets, extra resources like CCTV cameras, and additional funding. On top of that, there will be salaries for the personnel hired for managing the shelters. MCD officials have stated they will meet to talk about building shelters and how to fund them.

So far this year, Delhi has recorded 26,000 dog bite incidents, according to an official report from PTI. Until July 31, forty-nine rabies cases have been documented in the capital, and more than 65,000 stray dogs have been sterilized and vaccinated from January to June. The Supreme Court justices JD Pardiwala and R Mahadevan asserted yesterday that their decision serves the public's interest. "We are not doing this for ourselves; it is for the public good. Therefore, no feelings should be involved. Action must be taken promptly. Can all these animal activists bring back those affected by rabies? We must ensure our streets are completely free of stray dogs," the justices remarked.

Animal rights groups and dog enthusiasts contend that the Supreme Court's ruling is not only inhumane but also unrealistic. In response to the court's decision, Peta India stated that the "removal and imprisonment of dogs is not based on science and has never been effective." It also cautioned that forcibly taking lakhs of dogs off the streets will "cause chaos.""Ultimately, this will not help control the dog population, reduce rabies, or prevent dog bite cases. This is because it is impractical to create enough shelters for dogs and moving them can lead to territorial disputes and issues like hunger. In the end, dogs tend to return to the same areas, especially when puppies continue to be born." The animal rights organization pointed out that the increase in stray dogs on the streets of Delhi shows the failure to carry out a successful sterilization program. "Rather than wasting time, energy, and public funds on ineffective and cruel removal initiatives, a proper sterilization program remains the immediate solution and necessity."