Dog Sterilisation Centres Gujarat 70 Crore Statewide Expansion Plan

The Gujarat government has made a big move towards dealing with the rising number of stray dogs by declaring that it will set up dog sterilization centers in the state. The project is going to be undertaken in accordance with the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, which concentrate on humane and scientific population control of stray dogs in cities.

Background: Why the Move Was Needed

The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, were notified by the Centre on March 10, 2023, to deal with the rising cases and problems of stray dogs in urban areas. But the absence of proper infrastructure has restricted the effective implementation of the rules.

Presently, there is only a handful of urban pockets in Animal Birth Control (ABC) centers; thus, disseminating sterilization facilities to most of the urban municipalities.

Current Availability of ABC centers

Currently, there are merely eight municipal corporations in Gujarat where dog sterilization centers exist:

• Ahmedabad – 2 center
• Vadodara – 2 center
• Surat – 1 center
• Rajkot – 1 center
• Bhavnagar – 1 center
• Jamnagar – 1 center
• Junagadh – 1 center
• Gandhinagar – 1 center

Such restricted coverage made the state government consider doing a statewide expansion.

Formation of Review Committee

In order to guarantee the successful realization of the rules, the Urban Development and Urban Housing Department formed an eight-member review committee in January 2026. The committee also had its first meeting on January 30.

The committee is mandated with the role of reviewing:

• Compliance with Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023
• Effectiveness of existing sterilization centers
• Efforts of local authorities to control stray dogs

It is within two months that the committee should present its recommendations.

Scope of the Committee’s Work

The areas addressed by the review committee will be three:

Infrastructure development

• Establishment of new sterilization centers
  
• Upgradation of existing facilities

Seizure and handling of stray dogs

• Safe capture methods
  
• Coordination with animal welfare organizations

Maintenance and operational costs

• Daily care of seized animals
  
• Post-operative treatment and monitoring

Budget Allocation and Expansion Plan

The state government has put forward a budget of 70 crore under the ABC program. During the initial stage, there will be 33 sterilization centers , and they are:

• Existing 8 centers
• 9 other centers that include all municipal corporations, even newly formed ones.
• Nagarpalikas and districts have 18 centers , including the new Vav-Tharad district.

The number of centers will also increase over time, particularly in the densely populated regions, and multiple centers may be located in certain places.

Alignment with Legal and Welfare Guidelines

According to the officials, the plan is in line with the recommendations of the Supreme Court of India on handling the stray dogs. The program focuses on sterilization and vaccination and post-operative care as opposed to relocation or culling.

The program, which is reported extensively in The Indian express is projected to be a model of humane and sustainable program that can be adopted by other states.