The Supreme Court’s recent order directing officials in Delhi-NCR to catch, sterilise and transfer stray dogs in shelters created a huge chaos after animal lovers rocked the streets, opposing the order. Several celebrities also voiced their concern on the condition of the shelters and sudden removal of the dogs from the streets. The ruling was based on an increasing number of rabies and dog-bites cases, especially in children and elderly.
A 3-judge-bench of the top court later reserved its order on the dog menace, but pulled up local authorities for the mess. The order and subsequent reaction has given rise to debates on how Indian and its cities should be dealing with the problem of stray dogs/animals, which are also causing serious troubles to the citizens.
Similar order by Rajasthan HC
The Rajasthan High Court has also directed state municipal bodies to remove stray dogs and other animals from city roads, taking cognisance of the rising incidents of dog bites and the menace posed by stray animals, which have even led to deaths in the state.
India is not the only country with a significant dog population, in fact, there are several other countries that beat us in number of total dogs. Multiple reports suggest the United States has the largest population of dogs in the world, followed by Brazil, China and Japan among others.
10 countries with the largest dog population in the world
10. Spain
According to the data by World Population Review, Spain ranks at 10 with around 9.3 million dogs. The country has 19,447 dogs per 100,000 people, the website said.
9. Argentina
Argentina is home to approximately 10 million dogs. However, the country is reportedly seeing an increase in pet ownership. Government-led vaccination and sterilisation programmes are also helping in the safety of the people.
8. Germany
Germany has seen an increase in its number of dog population, with the same reaching at 10.3 million. The European country has 12,251 dogs per 100,000 people.
7. India
Various reports state the dog population in India in the range of 10.4-12 million. While pet ownership is there in the country, the rise in stray dogs’ population has been a constant concern. These animals, without proper care, have proven to be a trouble for the residents and local authorities also do not take care of their vaccination on a timely basis.
6. United Kingdom: The UK has a total dog population of 12 million
5. Russia
Russia has around 15-17 million dogs, including popular “metro dogs” that navigate public transport.
4. Japan
Japan is home to nearly 20 million dogs. Residents reportedly adopt pets and treat them as their kids. The pet industry in the Asian country is worth $10 billion, as per WorldAtlas.
3. China: The Asian country ranks at third with a massive dog population of nearly 54 million.
2. Brazil
Brazil hosts around 55 million dogs, with nearly half of the households having at least one pet. The vaccination programme has been quite positive in Brazil, the report mentioned.
1. United States
The US, as per world Population Review, has around 90 million of dog population. It boasts dog parks, grooming services, and strict animal welfare laws for their safety.