E-Paper
We need a consistent and humane policy on the issue of stray dogs
This article is authored by Navtej Johar, dancer and animal rights activist.
“Aavara nahin, humare hain”, is not a slogan, it is not even just a sentiment, it is a reality. Today, the ‘stray-pet’ is a lively, urban phenomenon. I speak to you as a stray-pet parent who has cared for dozens of strays in my neighborhood. And I am not alone. I am connected with several doting stray-pet-parents from all strata who are today take care of their strays with great attention and care. Over the last few decades, a whole ‘underworld’ of stray-dog-lovers has emerged across the country and these comprise equally of the rich and the poor. I call it an underworld because a) it is not only very well organised but also operates relentlessly with clear plans and foresight; and b) most people, particularly the authorities, are either unaware or else, in some cases, dismissive of them.
Stray-pet-parents work both individually and collectively. A stray-pet will not only be looked after by humans who have given it a home adjacent to their residence, shop, office, stall and this includes public spaces such as parks, stations, institutions in their area, but also monitored collectively by a larger group. To give an example, while many individuals take care of their respective stray-pets in the area, the Nizamuddin feeders’ group maintains a meticulous record of dogs both inside and outside their gated colony; this records the name, description, sex, age, and area of the dog, as well as the status of their annual vaccination and sterilisation. All the 48 dogs inside, and 21 outside the gated colony of Nizamuddin are vaccinated, they are fed twice a day by various members of this group, and as of the August 2025, when the list was last updated, only four dogs were yet to be neutered. The feeders that are spotted on our streets and met with sanctioned hostility today, are integral part of such groups—the dual aims of which are to humanely phase the dogs off our streets, but treat them with care and love for as long as they are around.
Dogs are hungry for human attention, offer them the love and care they deserve, keep them safe, healthy and secure, and they shall remain calm and contained. This directly reduces the chances of dog bites significantly, as dogs generally bite out of fear and insecurity. And nothing makes a dog more insecure than to lose its territory.
Ironically and sadly, the periodic displacement of dogs is most often related to official policies. Time and again, the authorities have made abrupt and impractical decisions that result in the random displacement of dogs; and this includes all the dog-catching drives that make dogs abandon their territory for safety; including lifting dogs from areas demarcated for high profile events and then releasing them randomly. Diwali is another major contributor. The loud noise of firecrackers frightens the dogs, they run helter-skelter in disorientation and often get lost. Due to the liberal use of firecrackers this past Diwali, Whatsapp groups are still listing pictures of dogs lost or found dogs, and these include both pets as well as stray-pets.
The sudden entry of new strays in the area is very sharply registered by the underworld because it threatens to disrupt their painstaking project of sterilising each dog in their extended area. So, they keep sharp vigil. Sterilisation drives require repeated fine-combing of the vicinity, over and over again and has zero tolerance for inconsistency and half-measures. And this is where the caregiver groups score; because they are a) close at hand, thus, can keep close watch, and b) are personally invested in the wellbeing and sterilisation of their dogs. No government programme can maintain that degree of vigil; half-measures are bound to creep in. The hard fact that the authorities need to register and acknowledge is that the caregivers are their best allies in this drive.
Yes, we adore our stray-pets. But we are not only sentimental about them, we are also supremely responsible. We are putting-our-money-where-our-mouth-is in most remarkable ways. We are not just being soft-hearted, we are also pursuing the sterilisation drive with hardnosed commitment, the kind that no municipal authority can match. We, of all people, are most keen to get the strays off our unkind streets as soon as possible. And to dismiss our work as merely sentimental is unfair, unsound and uninformed. We can excuse some faceless bureaucrat who has to make a hasty decision under pressure, but we do not expect the same from the courts. A judicious decision requires a fair and realistic examination of the ground reality. We expect the judges to be aware of how effectively the stray-feeders are succeeding in their respective drives. If the Capital has not had any rabies related deaths in the last three years; or if the last litter we had in my neighborhood, Green Park, was in 2017, it is thanks to the painstaking, tireless and meticulous workings of this underworld. We would like to ask the judges whether they feel that our municipal authorities can really build fully equipped shelters to house lakhs of dogs in such a short time. Shelters not only require an infrastructure but also specialised manpower to look after lakhs of dogs.
The unfortunate part is that the stray-dog issue has not been looked into by the authorities with consistency. The issue erupts suddenly due to some external pressures, giving rise to heated debates and the passing of policies and rules which are imprudent, ineffective and often inhumane. And these last two verdicts are likely to perpetuate the problem. We would appeal to the Supreme Court to please revoke the orders and opt for the readymade solution, i.e., to include the already existing and effectively operating care-giving networks, hundreds of them around the country, into the nation-wide sterilisation drive. Because they already are foot-soldiers who are working to ensure that our cities become effectively and permanently free of strays with ease, love and meticulous care.
This article is authored by Navtej Johar, dancer and animal rights activist.
