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**The Hindu: Science-Based Policies Needed to Address India’s Stray Dog Crisis, Says Researcher**
**New Delhi, September 5, 2025** – As India grapples with the complexities of managing its stray dog population, a Delhi-based scientist is calling for a shift in policy-making, urging authorities to prioritize scientific research and data over emotionally-driven reactions. Dr. Nishant Kumar, co-founder and chief scientist of the Thinkpaws Sustainability Research Foundation, argues that decisions regarding stray dog management often lack a foundation in understanding canine behavior, spatial distribution, and ecological drivers.
His call comes in the wake of a recent Supreme Court directive concerning the removal of stray dogs from Delhi, which was later amended. Dr. Kumar emphasizes the need for policy benchmarks grounded in scientific evidence, not just public concerns or individual litigations.
“You can’t solve complex coexistence problems without understanding underlying social-ecological systems,” Dr. Kumar stated in an interview with The Hindu.
Thinkpaws Foundation, established two years ago, aims to bridge this gap through research initiatives. A 2023 survey conducted by the foundation in Delhi revealed a dog density of approximately 550 dogs per square kilometer, extrapolating to an estimated 825,313 street dogs across the city. This data, according to Dr. Kumar, highlights the scale of the issue and the importance of understanding localized adjustments dogs make within their social units.
“Like people in X part of Delhi or Y part of Mumbai, dogs are also tuned to their local environment and make localized adjustments,” he explained. “When you have animals that are localised within their social and breeding units, (futile) attempts to manage by random relocations and cross-pairings have implications on conflicts within or across species, causing injuries/diseases.”
Dr. Kumar also addressed the cultural connection of feeding animals, including strays, which has been a practice in India for ages, and can create some of these conflicts as well.
Dr. Kumar advocates for a collaborative approach involving diverse stakeholders – animal rights activists, scientists, and government officials – to foster a common language and mutual understanding. “Transdisciplinary science can effectively help us develop a common language, with its ability to incorporate constant course correction, informed by objective assessments of dynamic challenges like coexistence in a changing world,” he said.
The researcher acknowledged the deeply rooted emotions and tolerance Indians exhibit towards animals, but stressed the importance of integrating scientific evidence to guide effective solutions. Dr. Kumar says, India must board the “bandwagon of science soon.”
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