Shelter shortage, poor planning slow stray dog control in Vijayawada

Key Points

1. Supreme Court directed States/UTs to remove stray dogs to designated shelters after sterilization and vaccination.
2. Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) allocated ₹5.5 crore for animal menace control in 2025-26 budget.
3. Vijayawada has approximately 40,000 street dogs and 320 kennels.
4. Around 14,000 dogs in Vijayawada have been neutered and vaccinated.
5. Animal Welfare Board of India's Revised ABC Module (February 2025) stresses effective ABC Rules, 2023 implementation.
6. VMC identified 59 designated feeding zones across the city.