Animal lovers protest SC ruling on stray dogs, demand humane solutions
The protest was in the wake of a recent Supreme Court order that allows mass confinement of street dogs. Holding placards and candles, protesters called for scientific and compassionate alternatives to street dog management, including sterilisation, vaccination, licensing, and community-supported care systems.
PFA Trivandrum secretary Latha Indira described the court order as 'reactionary' and lacking a practical foundation.
'It is a reaction to a single news item without deeper thinking. India doesn't have enough shelters, and the existing ones run by NGOs are already overcrowded. You cannot just confine animals somewhere without feeding, vaccinating, or sterilising them,' said Latha.
Protestors warned that indiscriminate confinement would lead to suffering and violate both animal welfare norms. They emphasised the importance of the ABC (Animal Birth Control) programme but were also critical of its limitations.
'We are doing a genocide of native dogs. By pushing only for sterilisation, we are saying we don't want them to reproduce. What's the alternative? We need licensing, public awareness, and responsible ownership. We also need government support, not just token programmes,' said Latha.
She argued that most dog bites reported as 'stray dog attacks' were in fact from pet animals.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Why Delhi's stray dogs belong to its lanes
In the dim light of dawn, neighbourhood whispers speak of Rosie, a gentle stray with wide, trusting eyes. Children chased her once, and instead of snapping back, she cringed, belly to the ground, hoping for morning, little Aarav, aged five, slipped and cried out; Rosie was there, pressing her warm body against him until help came. Their bond was unspoken, a testament to how stray dogs like Rosie become silent guardians of the community they live now, that fragile trust teeters on the edge of breakdown—Rosie may soon be swept off Delhi's streets, her presence deemed dangerous. On August 11, a Supreme Court bench, taking suo moto cognisance of a tragic child fatality from a stray dog bite, directed authorities to relocate within eight weeks all stray dogs in Delhi to shelters on city over the ruling followed, and the case was shifted to a new three-judge bench of the Supreme Court. While the bench has reserved its order, the debate over public safety, management of strays and animal rights stands mainstreamed. The August 11 ruling has been seen as starkly conflicting with an established animal welfare law. Since 2001, the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules have mandated humane capture, sterilisation, vaccination and ultimately release of stray dogs back into their territories—a scientifically validated approach grounded in community rules were reinforced in 2023 with expanded provisions recognising stray dogs as 'community animals' and emphasising local care and feeding. Even the courts upheld such empathetic judgments, stressing that compassion for all beings is a constitutional value. In this backdrop, the August 11 judgment was sharply criticised by animal welfare advocates as arbitrary and undermining the very scientific consensus on humane management of stray dog the legal and ethical debate rages, society is mobilising. Around the national capital, animal-friendly groups are organising big adoption drives and ramping up sterilisation and vaccination campaigns. After the ruling, animal birth control (ABC) centres in Delhi noted a surge in calls from individuals eager to rescue strays—another sign of grassroots commitment to animal the local authorities are struggling. The Muncipal Corporation of Delhi has not conducted a comprehensive dog census since 2016, and logistical hurdles persist in updating sterilisation and shelter infrastructure—despite operational ABC centres and some NGO collaboration. Stray dogs in the capital are estimated to number around a ongoing tension reveals two divergent visions: one that sees stray dogs as a problem to be removed and another that takes them to be community members deserving dignity, care and protection. Dog rights advocates argue that mass relocation of strays risks overcrowding, disease and eroded emotional bonds, calling instead for expanded, humane solutions grounded in sterilisation, community involvement and policy build an animal-friendly society, we must affirm that urban security and animal welfare are not mutually exclusive. It means empowering local shelters, funding ABC programmes and fostering awareness on how stray dogs enrich our shared spaces—not just as pets but as sentinels and silent companions. By nurturing these ties, we create safer, kinder communities both for humans like Aarav and strays like to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
New Indian Express
4 hours ago
- New Indian Express
CM Stalin hands over SBI insurance claim cheques to families of deceased government employees
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, MK Stalin, handed over insurance claim settlement cheques worth a total of ₹4.28 crore to the families of four deceased State Government employees at the Secretariat. The settlement, made under the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Tamil Nadu and the State Bank of India for Salary Package accounts, includes personal accident insurance of up to ₹1 crore and add-on benefits of up to ₹20 lakh for State Government Salary Package and Police Salary Package employees. The CM was joined on the occasion by Shri Vivekanand Choubey, Chief General Manager of SBI, Chennai Circle, and Shri Joby Jose, General Manager. The gesture reflects SBI's commitment to standing with bereaved families, providing timely financial relief and is a message of solidarity in their time of loss. (This is a Press release by the SBI.)
New Indian Express
12 hours ago
- New Indian Express
PFA holds stir over SC's order on stray dogs in Bhubaneswar
BHUBANESWAR: Members of People for Animals (PFA) on Sunday, staged a protest near Ram Mandir in Bhubaneswar against the Supreme Court's order to relocate stray dogs in Delhi-NCR. The agitators alleged that the recent verdict of the two-judge bench in the matter, is a violation of the earlier order of the apex court as well as the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 of the Animal Welfare Board of India. PFA Odisha secretary Jiban Ballav Das pinned hope that the verdict will be revised and sought proper implementation of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme across the country to protect the community dogs. He also sought rabies control through sterilisation and immunisation of stray dogs as per the ABC rules 2023.
