Do street dogs pose a threat to public safety? Not at all. This inference can be drawn from a recent survey that reveals a bond many Indians quietly share with the strays that roam their streets, even as safety fears dominate conversations.In fact, the survey across 10 cities by a Delhi-based think tank has found that over 91% of Indians feel safer with dogs in streets, strongly believing their presence helps deter crime.And a pack of street dogs recently standing guard around an abandoned newborn in Bengal’s Nabadwip through the night only echoes the findings by Esya Centre.Per the survey, most street dogs are not aggressive, with 73.5% respondents characterising the general temperament of the strays as friendly and 15% as timid.The findings, according to Esya, also suggest widespread public support for sterilisation-based population management and highlight the positive contributions stray dogs make to daily life.Although India’s stray dog population has fluctuated in recent years, the report underscores the dramatic impact of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, citing 78% respondents.”Reported human deaths from rabies have declined from 534 in 2004 to just 54 in 2024. …in Delhi, there were no reported human deaths from rabies between 2022 and January 2025.” This clearly indicates that sustained vaccination and sterilisation campaigns, rather than culling of strays, have been key to saving human lives, per Esya.Human behaviour, the report notes, plays a decisive role in shaping canine behaviour, advocating display of compassion towards the strays — by feeding or treating them kindly.The survey report also calls on authorities to take stronger action against those who harass responsible dog feeders.Feeders, per Esya, are uniquely positioned to help capture dogs for sterilisation, ensure animals are returned to their original neighborhoods, and support record-keeping efforts of civic bodies.Stronger legal protections for dog feeders, Esya says, are critical to fostering safer, more cooperative human-animal co-existence in India.