After SC prod, city to et 1st govt shelter for strays in ‘no dog zones’

Bhopal: Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced plans to build the city’s first government-run dog shelter in Kolar, following the Supreme Court’s November 2025 directive to remove stray dogs from public institutions and relocate them to permanent facilities. The modern centre, spread across one acre, will have the capacity to house around 1,500 to 2,000 dogs, according to BMC official.

BMC veterinary wing official confirmed that only dogs from nine identified “no-dog zones” will be sent to the shelter in the initial phase. These zones include schools, hospitals, bus stands, railway stations and sports complexes, where the presence of strays has raised concerns about safety and hygiene.

In Bhopal around 900 such locations were identified last year. The new facility is expected to change that.

Currently, BMC operates three Animal Birth Control (ABC) centres at Arwalia, Adampur Cantonment and Kajlikheda, which together can sterlise about 20,000 dogs per year. However, the stay of the dogs is about five days post sterlisation.

These centres focus on sterilisation and vaccination. Supreme Court ruling made clear that sterilisation alone is insufficient, directing states to establish permanent shelters in every district.

BMC’s veterinary wing has clarified that its role will begin only after the proposed shelter at Kalapani is developed. For now, responsibility for land procurement and construction lies with the engineering department. When contacted, BMC engineer Pramod Malviya did not respond.

Across MP there are an estimated 9 dog shelters. Sources indicated that proposals to combine a dog shelter with an Animal Birth Control (ABC) centre—similar to the model in Gwalior—have faced objections. Meanwhile, recent audits of existing BMC ABC centres have raised red flags, pointing to irregularities in operations and oversight, according to sources.