Noida Authority has initiated a comprehensive survey to map and monitor the stray dog population across the city, aiming to enhance sterilisation, vaccination, and overall management efforts. Officials have called on residents' welfare associations (RWAs), apartment owners' associations (AOAs), and animal welfare NGOs to submit detailed reports, including photographs, identifying sterilised, unsterilised, aggressive, and rabies-suspect dogs in their sectors and societies.
Sterilised dogs will be marked with a distinctive V-notch on their ears for easy identification. To facilitate public involvement, the authority has introduced a toll-free helpline (0120-2425025) for complaints and suggestions related to street dogs.
Lokesh M, CEO of the Noida Authority, announced on Monday that instructions have been issued to construct two dedicated dog shelters. These shelters will accommodate biting, rabies-infected, and aggressive dogs. An RFP (Request for Proposal) will be floated shortly to select an agency responsible for operating these facilities. Until the new shelters are ready, such dogs will be housed at existing animal care centres.
In addition, the authority is working with RWAs and AOAs to establish designated feeding points for stray dogs throughout the city. Two agencies are currently conducting anti-rabies vaccination drives for stray dogs, with responsibilities including maintaining accurate records of vaccinated animals.
Animal welfare activists have welcomed the initiative, highlighting its balanced approach to public safety and animal welfare. Sanjay Mohapatra, head of a local NGO, emphasised the importance of multiple feeding points managed by local feeders to ensure responsible care of stray dogs. He also stressed the need for identifying truly aggressive dogs using bite records, video footage, and hospital data.
Resident and dog lover Avinash Singh praised the plan, calling it “a balanced approach” that considers both the safety of residents and the well-being of animals. He expressed his commitment to supporting awareness and vaccination drives to foster peaceful coexistence between residents and stray dogs.
The Noida Authority’s new initiative marks a significant step towards managing the city’s stray dog population humanely while ensuring public safety and hygiene.
