Updated August 2026.
Last weekend, National Geographic Channel India gave Dog with Blog a cool opportunity to explore Delhi dogs through a roving dog’s eyes. During the course of otherwise foggy noon in the capital, I explored the lanes and their legends, to come across heartwarming tales of dogs and their men. Nothing makes a heart any warmer than to come across kindness.
Delhi’s street dogs have been at the centre of a national debate since August 2025, when the Supreme Court first ordered them relocated to shelters, then modified that order after public backlash: dogs are now meant to return to their own territory after sterilisation and vaccination unless they’re rabid or aggressive, with designated feeding spaces replacing open public feeding. A three-judge bench delivered the final judgment on 19 May 2026, ordering one functional Animal Birth Control centre in every district and a state-by-state compliance check, and we followed where the sterilisation money actually goes. The story below predates all of that by a decade. It’s a reminder of what the debate is actually about: real dogs, and the real people, rickshaw pullers, tea-stall owners, a mother-daughter duo running sterilisation drives, who were already doing the unglamorous work the courts are now trying to formalise. For current helpline numbers and adoption contacts in Delhi NCR, see our 2026 directory.
Here’s how the Nat Geo Explorer Challenge unfolded:
We began with Hazel’s story, a 2015 adoption appeal from Aruna and part of the same Explorer Challenge day.
Delhi NCR’s dogs and cats looking for homes change every week, so instead of a 2015 snapshot, here’s who needs one right now:
Seven Indie Puppies From One Litter Need Homes
A Forty-Day-Old Kitten Found Alone In A Park Needs A Foster Or Home
Three Indie Puppies Need A Home
Six Kittens From Two Litters Born To The Same Stray Cat Need Homes
A Breeding Labrador With a Vaginal Prolapse Needs Emergency Foster in Faridabad
Two Bonded Kittens, About 2–3 Months Old, Need One Home Together
See all dogs & cats up for adoption in Delhi NCR →
Bhondu, the rickshaw puller’s shadow
Mallika introduced us to Bhondu, a street dog being taken care of by a kind rickshaw puller. It seems that the dog accompanies them everywhere they go. If a passenger is riding, the dog walks by their side and if there is no passenger he sits beneath the seat.
I could not stop myself from stopping to quickly chat with the rickshaw puller to understand the whole deal between them. I learnt from him that Bhondu was orphaned at a very young age due to his mother’s untimely death. He has been hand raised by the rickshaw puller (in all the excitement, I missed asking his name) since he was a puppy. He is extremely well fed and has grown up to be a handsome dog all courtesy the care and compassion shown by this noble man. As I stopped to chat with Bhondu”s owner, he was quick to get down from the rickshaw to come close to me to understand what was transpiring between us. He was gentle yet alert and certainly very protective of his pet parent.
Proves all over again that all you need is loving heart to accept and care for our very own Indian dogs.
Dhruv and his eight rescues
Dhruv, the man with eight rescued dogs, bathes one of his furry pals 🙂
The tea-stall dogs: Saket to Govindpuri
Behind the Saket malls, lurking in a quite road, I came across Pyaarelal ji’s tea stall. Sona the Indian pup frolics around the shop with great enthusiasm and is a known acquaintance to all the customers. Well fed and vaccinated, this dog is in good hands.
Another chai-story.
Outside the Govindpuri metro station, Ram has a make shift tea-stall. Despite his humble earnings, he has ensured that Bhura and Choti, the street dogs he has homed get the jackets to brave the winters. Too proud to accept anyone’s monetary aid, Ram can be helped by Delhites in the vicinity by availing his tea (a creamy delight!)
One of my favorite winter sights in Delhi is to see stray dogs with jackets. So many unsung heroes work towards it, here’s thanking them all!
Gurgaon: sterilisation and vaccination, block by block
Towards the satellite start-up city, Gurgaon, and we came across the mother-daughter duo of Gurmeet and Ishleen who take care of the stray dogs w.r.t food and veterinary needs – sterilization, vaccination and de-worming drives, and as and when need be, push for adoptions, search for suitable homes and screen potential adopters. Currently, they’re covering one block in Nirvana and some parts of Cyber City.
The tales of Humans of this great city are waiting to be told. In case you know of such kind-hearts around you, please let us know.
I’d like to thank National Geographic Channel India and Mission Explorer for letting me be a part of this initiative. If this sounds like something you would like to do, and possibly win a chance to go to Machu Picchu, then check out the Mission Explorer website – If you’re passionate about exploring food, art, culture, travel (or anything else, really!) in your city, you will fit the bill. If you want to do what Gurmeet, Ishleen, Pyaarelal ji and Ram do in your own neighbourhood, Delhi NCR’s animal helplines and shelters are a good place to start.
Get more dog stories in your inbox. Join Woofs & Words on LinkedIn.
Subscribe on LinkedIn
Simply Loved this! You’ve captured the essence of Delhi’s dog lovers so beautifully…
Thanks for featuring me just the way I like it 🙂