India, Aug. 14 -- New Delhi

The Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD's) plan to set up the city's first institutional dog shelter on a 1,000 square-yard plot in southeast Delhi's Tehkhand has run into opposition from residents, who allege that it will exacerbate the problems in their locality, contending that relocated dogs would turn more aggressive.

Experts estimate that each dog would require at least 40-45 square feet of space in a permanent shelter, as per animal welfare board regulations.

Ajeet Singh Vidhuri, a 71-year-old resident of Tehkhand village, said, "If a dog shelter is constructed in our village, it will be nothing short of a disaster. Our area in itself has at least 300 to 400 dogs and then if...