Protest held over SC directive on stray dogs

AHMEDABAD: On Independence Day, as rain fell steadily over Ahmedabad, at least 250 people, including children, young adults, and elderly citizens, some who could barely walk, stood together in a peaceful protest against the Supreme Court’s recent directive on stray dogs in Delhi NCR and placing them in shelters.

The protest was held near NID at the Western Bank of Sabarmati Riverfront in Ahmedabad on Friday evening. Stray dog feeders, dog rescuers, pet owners, animal lovers, and families gathered shoulder to shoulder, many also travelled in from Sanand and Nadiad to make their voices heard.For them, it was not just about dogs, but about compassion, coexistence, and what they called the constitutional right to live in harmony with community animals.

“It is not just our moral responsibility to care for community animals, it is a constitutional duty. Article 51A(g) of the Indian Constitution makes it the duty of every citizen to protect the environment and have compassion for all living creatures.

According to the Animal Birth Control Rules of 2001 and the revised ones of 2023, sterilisation and vaccination are the only legal and humane solutions to handling the community dogs.

Dislocating them is a criminal offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1961, and several High Courts and even the Supreme Court have upheld this. People of Ahmedabad came together to lend voice to the voiceless and fight for their justice and freedom,” said Mahendra Shrimali, Secretary of People for Animals (PFA), Ahmedabad.For others present, the protest was as much about lived experience as law.

Entrepreneur Nirjari Shah, who grew up around indie dogs, spoke of the guardianship that community animals offer. “The 15 dogs in our society are part of our lives, with children, adults, and the elderly feeding and caring for them. With a little compassion and understanding, there have been hardly any conflicts between the dogs and residents.

Over years of urbanisation, stray dogs have survived as a species and respecting them as community animals is our collective responsibility.

Coexistence is inevitable. We humans don’t own the planet, and we must respect every being on it. At the same time, civic authorities must also play their part, ensuring proper sterilisation, vaccination, and infrastructure so that both people and animals can live in harmony,” Shah said.Members of several animal welfare organisations, as well as individual dog and pet lovers, came to the fore amidst pouring rain and humidity.

Dog rescuer Devesh Trivedi described the turnout as a heartening sign of awareness. “Despite the rains, people came, children, young people, even the elderly who could barely walk. It shows how deeply the community cares. All we seek is to let the laws be implemented in their true spirit and strengthen them as needed. The only humane and effective solutions are sterilisation, vaccination, and responsible management by civic authorities.”