Former Union Minister and President of Lok Abhiyan, Vijay Goel alleged that a “nexus of dog feeders, NGOs, and vested interests” is responsible for the growing menace of stray dogs in India. Addressing a press conference on Friday at the Noida Media Centre, Goel, who has been running a nationwide campaign against dog bites, claimed a few dog feeders have “virtually held the entire country hostage” over the issue.
Goel’s remarks came after he was invited by the Federation of RWAs of Noida and Greater Noida to address the problem in the NCR. He pointed out that thousands of dog bite cases are reported daily across Delhi, Noida, Ghaziabad, Faridabad and Gurgaon, yet the issue is not being taken seriously by State Governments. He highlighted the conflict within the Supreme Court’s own approach, with a two-judge bench ordering dogs to be sent to shelters, while a three-judge bench directs their release.
Presenting stark statistics, Goel stated that India has over 120 million stray dogs — the highest in the world — and consequently, the highest number of dog bites and rabies cases. He said women, children and the elderly are the worst affected. He cited international examples like the USA, Singapore and European countries where public feeding of stray dogs is illegal and the streets are free of them, questioning why PETA advocates for stray dogs in India but not in its own country.
The former minister also raised serious concerns about the sterilisation and vaccination drives, claiming that corruption is rampant. He alleged that the same dog-related NGOs that handle sterilisation are profiting from the perpetual problem. “Sterilisation and vaccine manufacturing companies have a huge vested interest in keeping the problem alive,” he said.
Goel also took a strong stand against the Uttar Pradesh Government’s recent circular, stating it violates two key Supreme Court directives. He said the court has clearly mandated that no feeding can take place on public roads or inside residential societies and that aggressive, biting dogs must be permanently caged. Goel has written to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to amend the circular and has also announced his intention to present the matter before the Supreme Court. Despite receiving threats for his stance, Goel affirmed his position, saying, “We are all animal lovers, but human life is far more important.” He reiterated that his campaign is not against animals but for the safety of citizens.
