Actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood has backed a humane, science-backed approach to managing India’s stray dog population, urging citizens and local bodies to scale up vaccination and sterilisation drives to curb rabies and uncontrolled breeding. The appeal came in a video message shared in support of Mumbai-based civic platform Jeev Sabha.
What Sonu Sood said
In the message, Sood draws a parallel with India’s COVID-19 vaccination effort, arguing that a similar public-health approach can address rabies and stray dog management. He also refers to Indian strays as “Indy” (Indian dogs) and calls for kindness alongside solutions.
What is the CVSR model?
Jeev Sabha has advocated the Catch-Vaccinate-Sterilise-Release (CVSR) method—capturing strays, vaccinating them against rabies, sterilising them to prevent breeding, and releasing them back to their original areas—positioning it as a practical alternative to mass confinement. The platform’s framework also calls for scaling up Animal Birth Control (ABC) and annual anti-rabies vaccination, along with stronger post-bite response systems and public awareness to reduce fear-driven violence.
Why this matters now
The message comes amid continuing public debate and judicial scrutiny around stray dog bites, rabies risk, and animal welfare. The Supreme Court has been hearing petitions that weigh public safety concerns against stray dogs’ right to live, with proceedings frequently focusing on vaccination/sterilisation as core interventions.
-By Manoj H