16 hours ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Animal lovers protest SC ruling on stray dogs, demand humane solutions
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Candlelight flickered in front of the Secretariat on Sunday evening as animal lovers gathered under the banner of 'India Unites For Animals', a protest organised by People for Animals (PFA) Trivandrum.
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.
