Indie Puppy Adoption Melas: GHMC's unique initiative facilitates 3,027 puppy adoptions

Hyderabad: Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) has facilitated the adoption of 3,027 puppies over the past five years through its Indie Puppy Adoption Melas and other initiatives.

“This initiative has been going on for five years. And in all these five years, around 3,027 puppies have been adopted,” said Abdul Vakeel, Chief Veterinary Officer, GHMC, speaking to NewsMeter.

At recent adoption drives, GHMC displayed 30–40 puppies per event, with 20–24 finding homes on the same day. In July 2025, the corporation also introduced park-based kennels, allowing citizens to meet and adopt vaccinated, dewormed puppies during park visits.

Stray Dog Numbers in Hyderabad

Hyderabad’s stray dog population is estimated at 3.9–3.97 lakh. According to GHMC surveys, 70–85% of these dogs are sterilised and vaccinated, leaving 75,000–120,000 dogs unsterilised and unvaccinated.

Municipal data states, “One in every five stray dogs is unsterilised and unvaccinated.”

Sterilisation and Vaccination Programme

The Animal Birth Control and Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ABC-ARV) programme remains GHMC’s main intervention for controlling stray dog numbers. Dogs are captured, sterilised, vaccinated, dewormed, observed post-surgery, and then released.

NGOs carry out a significant share of these operations. Vasantha Vadi of People for Animals (Hyderabad) said:

“In any given month, about 700–900 dogs are sterilised by us. Many more are sterilised by other organisations and the GHMC.”

Despite this throughput, a sizeable “last-mile” population remains outside the programme due to territorial behaviour, dense settlements, and limited resources.

Legal and Policy Context

In August 2025, the Supreme Court directed local bodies nationwide to capture, sterilise, vaccinate, and shelter stray dogs under the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023. Although triggered by Delhi-NCR cases, the ruling has added pressure on GHMC to expand sterilisation and shelter operations.

Funding is another constraint. Recent Lok Sabha data showed no central allocations released under ABC for some states, leaving GHMC to depend on municipal budgets and NGO support.

Challenges Ahead

• Uncaptured clusters in slums and informal settlements continue to sustain litter.

• Shelter capacity remains limited, making long-term housing difficult.

• Funding gaps slow the scaling of sterilisation programmes.

Independent estimates suggest that around 20% of Hyderabad’s stray dogs remain unsterilised, perpetuating new litters and raising concerns around rabies and bite incidents.

Looking Forward

GHMC’s efforts in 2025 combined adoption drives, park-based kennels, and expanded sterilisation partnerships. While adoption provides homes to some dogs, officials and NGOs agree that city-wide control depends on sustained ABC-ARV coverage.