Lucknow sterilizes 84% of street dogs, wins SC praise

India Jan 14, 2026

Lucknow just pulled off something big for animal welfare—since 2019, the city has sterilized and vaccinated 84% of its street dogs, way past the WHO's 70% target.
This move cut puppy births in half and helped drop dog bite complaints across the city.
The Supreme Court even gave a shoutout to this effort after seeing the high sterilization rate and population stabilization.

Why does it matter?

With over 89,000 dogs cared for in Lucknow alone (and nearly 3 lakh statewide), this program is setting a new standard for tackling stray dog issues—and there have been zero rabies deaths here in 10 years.
Next up: microchipping more pups and opening a vet training center.
If other cities follow suit, India could be on track to wipe out rabies by 2030.