India’s Supreme Court on 11 August ordered authorities in Delhi and its satellite cities to remove every stray dog from public areas and house them in dedicated shelters within eight weeks. Municipal bodies including the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the New Delhi Municipal Council must begin by capturing 5,000 dogs from designated high-risk zones, then sterilise, vaccinate and monitor them in facilities equipped with CCTV. The judges barred the release of the animals back onto the streets and warned that anyone obstructing the roundup will face legal action. The ruling follows a surge in dog-bite incidents—hospital records suggest roughly 2,000 cases a day in the capital—and rising rabies concerns. Government data show 3.7 million reported bites nationwide last year, while the World Health Organization estimates India accounts for more than a third of global rabies deaths. Delhi’s stray dog population is believed to range between 500,000 and one million. In its order, the court said “infants, young children should not at any cost fall prey to stray dogs” and directed officials to set up a 24-hour helpline within a week. Delhi minister Kapil Mishra called the decision a step toward freeing the city from the fear of rabies, but conservationists and animal-welfare groups described the eight-week deadline as impractical, pointing to limited shelter capacity. The effectiveness of the programme—and its adherence to humane standards—will be closely watched as city agencies race to comply with the court’s mandate.