LUCKNOW, India—Lucknow has achieved a major milestone in humane street dog management by completing one 100,000 dog sterilization surgeries under its Animal Birth Control program, jointly implemented by Humane World for Animals India and the Lucknow Municipal Corporation.
A community dog named Chitti became the 100,000th dog to be sterilized under the program and was returned to his territory after recovering from surgery. The milestone was also marked by the transformation of the city’s ABC Centre with vibrant, educational murals that promote humane coexistence. The mural painting was led by more than 10 professional artists from Kerala’s Fireflies Community (a youth-based non-governmental organization), together with volunteers and community members from Lucknow
The mural brings the ABC Centre to life by visually showcasing the journey a dog undergoes during their time with Humane World for Animals India—from humane capture, observation, sterilization surgery and medical care to recovery and return to his or her community. The artwork also depicts scenes from dog sensitization workshops conducted by Humane World for Animals India for residents and school students, while helping decode dog body language to promote safer and more compassionate human-dog interactions.
Dalia Jacob, senior manager of community engagement at Humane World for Animals India, said: “Celebrating this important milestone through a community-led creative enterprise shows that spaces where animals receive care can also educate, engage and leave people with a positive experience about dogs, animal birth control and coexistence.
We are also reinforcing the message that it is our shared responsibility to achieve a lasting, peaceful coexistence between dogs and people. We chose murals as a powerful storytelling tool because art has the ability to connect with communities and simplify complex processes.”
Speaking about the ABC Centre reaching an important milestone, Dr Abhinay Verma, animal welfare officer at Lucknow Nagar Nigam, said: “Humane management of street dogs and co-existence requires both system support and public confidence. Community participation in such initiatives strengthens the bond between the two as well as the long-term cooperation between civic bodies and residents. Only when the community becomes a part of the process can such large scale operations yield tremendous outcomes.”
Dr Najela K P, co-founder of the Fireflies Community, said: “Art is a great medium to depict our culture and values and to show that we care and that we are doing our bit to give back to the community. We are thrilled to have worked with Humane World for Animals India and volunteers from Lucknow to help them and guide them to make the ABC facility livelier.”
Facts:
- Humane World for Animals India, in collaboration with the Lucknow Nagar Nigam in Utter Pradesh, started the ABC program in Lucknow in 2019.
- Each week, 300-400 dogs are sterilized, vaccinated and released back to their original location. The initiative is supported by a team of over 30 trained staff members, six vehicles and a strong network of community volunteers.
- A monitoring survey in December 2024 found that 84.3% of Lucknow’s street dogs have been sterilized and vaccinated.
- 20–30% of dogs entering the program are brought in through direct community participation.
- Since 2019, more than 15,000 residents from 475 neighborhoods have participated in community engagement activities related to street dog management.
- Chitti, the 100,000th community dog sterilized under the program, was found by a resident volunteer injured on the street and brought to the Lucknow facility.
Humane World for Animals (formerly known as Humane Society International) works in India and across the globe to improve the welfare of street, community and companion dogs and cats. We promote humane, sustainable approaches to reduce street animal populations and support peaceful coexistence with people, offering solutions in place of lethal or inhumane methods. Since 2013, more than 400,000 street dogs have been sterilized and vaccinated in India through Humane World for Animals’ programs. The charity’s street dog programs, in addition to its work to increase access to care for companion animals in underserved communities, help people care for their animals and prevent cruelty and abandonment, is advanced in North America, South Africa, Mexico, India, Chile, Costa Rica, Romania and Bolivia.
