Belagavi City Corporation has designated 26 zones across the city where stray dogs can be fed. The move, announced on October 12, is framed as a step to reduce human-animal conflict by giving feeders defined spots and laying down standard operating procedures for safe and hygienic feeding practices.
The decision puts Belagavi in a growing list of Indian cities that have shifted from banning stray dog feeding outright to regulating it through designated locations. Cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Panvel, and Indore have all moved in the same direction, with varying degrees of success.
BCC designates 26 feeding zones for stray dogs https://t.co/rvDauV0YBd https://t.co/6sZqxM4Mki
— Deccan Herald (@DeccanHerald) October 12, 2026
Why Designated Zones
The tension between people who feed strays and residents who object to dogs congregating near their homes or in shared spaces is one of the most common flashpoints in urban stray dog management. Feeders argue they are following both their conscience and the law, since courts have upheld the right to feed community dogs. Residents argue that feeding in unstructured ways creates health hazards, territorial dog behaviour, and safety concerns.
Designated zones attempt to split that difference. Feeding happens in defined spots, away from building entrances or children’s play areas, with hygiene protocols that feeders are expected to follow.
Part of a Broader Shift
The Supreme Court’s May 2026 order on stray dog management directed states and local bodies to take active steps on the issue, including establishing feeding points, ramping up sterilisation, and creating clear public awareness frameworks. Belagavi’s 26 zones reflect that direction.
Whether the zones work in practice depends on enforcement and uptake. A designated zone that no one uses, or that feeders ignore in favour of convenient spots near their homes, solves nothing on paper. The corporation’s SOPs will matter less than whether the city’s animal welfare volunteers and resident welfare associations actually coordinate around the new system.
The Belagavi City Corporation has not yet published details on where the 26 zones are located or what the specific SOP guidelines require of feeders.
October 12, 2026
