CHENNAI: Hundreds of dog lovers, rescuers and activists rallied in the city on Sunday, marching with placards and pledges to protest against the Supreme Court’s recent directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi–NCR streets and confine them to shelters. They carried posters that read ‘Dogs have rights too’, ‘Their streets, their freedom’ and ‘Compassion is the law we need’.
Many actors participated in the rally, which began at Rajarathinam Stadium and concluded near a private hotel in Egmore, where the debate of animal welfare rights vs public safety raised its head.
“If the government had vaccinated the strays properly, people will not die due to rabies. Why must dogs suffer for government’s inefficiency?” fumed Lionel Praveen, an animal rescuer. “Conflicts between dogs and humans are rising due to hunger, lack of care and the animal’s past trauma.”
The demonstration was organised in solidarity with activists in New Delhi, where protests earlier this week were met with police detentions. Towards the end, participants took a collective pledge to protect community dogs and opposed “SC’s regressive step” threatening their survival.
On August 11, the Supreme Court had ordered authorities in New Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, Ghaziabad and Faridabad to capture and move stray dogs to shelters within eight weeks. The order, issued against the backdrop of rising bite cases and rabies concerns, called the existing sterilisation and release system ineffective. It also instructed that shelters be fitted with sterilisation and vaccination facilities, and warned of penal action against those obstructing the removals.
Protestors argued that such mass relocation was impractical and unlawful since the 2001 Animal Birth Control Rules require sterilisation and vaccination followed by release into the same locality. They warned that the ruling could push lakhs of dogs into overcrowded shelters and increase cruelty.