LUCKNOW, Uttar Pradesh— Today, Shri A.K Sharma, Uttar Pradesh's Minister for Urban Development inaugurated India's first comprehensive public Animal Birth Control (ABC) training center in Jarhara, marking a major milestone in the humane management of street dog populations across the country. Established by Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) and the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), the center, currently run by Humane World for Animals India (formerly Humane Society International/India), will serve as a national training hub for veterinarians, para-veterinarians, recent veterinary graduates, animal handlers and animal welfare organizations involved with the implementation of ABC programs. (formerly Humane Society International/India)
Such programs remain the only scientifically proven and legally mandated approach to managing street dog populations humanely. However, despite the introduction of the ABC Rules, 2023, the quality and implementation of ABC programs vary significantly across India due to inconsistent training, limited technical capacity and a lack of standardized operating procedures. The center in Jarhara will address these gaps by building a skilled workforce and infrastructure equipped to implement humane, scientific and legally compliant ABC programs nationwide.
The inaugural ceremony was attended by smt. Sushma Kharkwal, Mayor of Lucknow, Gaurav Kumar, IAS, Municipal Commissioner, Dr Arvind Kumar Rao, additional municipal commissioner, Lucknow Municipal Corporation, Dr Abhinav Verma, animal welfare officer, along with other senior officials from the Lucknow Municipal Corporation, the Animal Welfare Board of India and Humane World for Animals India, along with other distinguished guests from the veterinary and animal welfare sectors.
Currently, there is a three-year Memorandum of Understanding between Lucknow Municipal Corporation and Humane World for Animals India via which the municipal corporation provides the infrastructure, dedicated dog-holding kennels and operational support, while Humane World for Animals India develops and delivers the specialized training curriculum through its experienced veterinary faculty.
The intensive 15-day curriculum provides a comprehensive instruction by combining classroom learning with practical, hands-on training and covers humane handling and dog capture, pre-operative assessment, anesthesia, sterilization techniques, post-operative care, kennel management, legal compliance, data management, project implementation and community engagement, all essential for implementing a successful and legally compliant ABC under the ABC Rules, 2023.
At the inauguration event, Shri A.K. Sharma, Uttar Pradesh’s Minister for Urban Development, said “The inauguration of India’s first Animal Birth Control Training Centre marks an important step towards strengthening scientific, humane, and sustainable management of community dog populations. Through capacity-building and collaboration, we aim to support animal welfare while making our cities safer and healthier for all."
Dr. Piyush Patel, veterinarian and director, street animal program, Humane World for Animals India, says: "For over a decade, Humane World for Animals India has worked alongside municipal bodies and veterinary professionals to improve ABC programs through scientific protocols, hands-on training and humane practices. This center brings together everything we've learned in the field into a comprehensive curriculum and scales up the impact of animal birth control in the country. By investing in veterinary capacity and standardizing best practices, we can improve animal welfare, strengthen compliance with the ABC Rules 2023 and help more cities build effective and sustainable street dog management programs."
Dr. Arvind Kumar Rao, additional municipal commissioner, Lucknow Municipal Corporation, says: "The inauguration of this training center marks another important milestone in Lucknow's commitment to humane street dog management. Our partnership with Humane World for Animals India has delivered tangible results for the city, and we are confident this center will help strengthen veterinary capacity across the country while promoting the highest standards of animal welfare and public service."
Facts:
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Humane World for Animals India has partnered with the Lucknow Municipal Corporation since 2019 to implement one of India’s largest and most successful Animal Birth Control (ABC) programs.
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Under this program, Humane World for Animals India achieved the landmark milestone of sterilizing and vaccinating more than one lakh (100,000) street and community dogs in Lucknow.
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A city-wide monitoring survey in December 2025 found that over 80.5% of Lucknow’s street dogs have been sterilized and vaccinated, surpassing the World Health Organization’s recommended 70% benchmark for effective dog population and rabies control.
Humane World for Animals India also conducts on-site veterinary capacity building, training veterinarians, para-veterinarians, animal handlers, and animal welfare professionals in scientific, humane, and evidence-based animal care.
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