Open house: Will the SC order on controlling stray dog menace bear desired results?

Stray dogs remain an urban dilemma

The Supreme Court’s directive to confine stray dogs in shelters reflects a humane yet pragmatic balance between animal rights and citizen safety. The escalating dog attacks on children, especially infants, highlight an urgent public health and safety crisis. The problem is rooted in poor waste management, weak sterilisation drive and municipal negligence. While compassion for animals is enshrined under Article 51A(g), the Right to Life (Article 21) of citizens cannot be compromised. Permanent shelter-based confinement, supplemented with adequate veterinary care, may provide an immediate solution. Yet, the long-term remedy lies in strengthening sterilisation and vaccination programmes, ensuring municipal accountability, promoting responsible pet ownership, community awareness and participation. Thus, a sustainable, humane and preventive framework is vital to transform this human-animal conflict into co-existence with dignity and safety.

Preetpal Singh Chhina

Balanced approach needed for checks

The Supreme Court’s order on stray dogs underlines the growing concern over rising attacks, particularly on children and infants. Public safety must remain paramount, yet an outright directive to confine all dogs permanently to shelters raises practical and ethical issues. Shelters in most cities are already underfunded and overcrowded, and such a move risks worsening neglect, disease and cruelty. A more sustainable and compassionate path is essential. This includes intensifying sterilisation and vaccination programmes, building well-maintained and adequately staffed shelters, and encouraging responsible adoption. Strict penalties for abandonment must also be enforced, while improving waste management is crucial since open garbage sustains a large stray population. Public education campaigns can promote safer co-existence and reduce fear-driven hostility. With coordinated municipal efforts, we can safeguard children and communities without compromising on humane treatment of animals. Both safety and compassion must guide the city’s response to this sensitive issue.

Dr Varun Pushkarna, Additional Director, Internal Medicine & Critical Care, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Amritsar

More about neglect than aggression

The Supreme Court’s recent order to confine stray dogs to shelters has left me with mixed feelings. On the one hand, I understand the urgency, as the rising cases of dog attacks, especially on children, are deeply disturbing and cannot be ignored. Public safety has to be a priority. At the same time, I feel that the issue of strays is not just about aggression—it is about neglect. Most stray dogs suffer from hunger, disease and lack of care, which often drives their behaviour. Simply removing them from the streets without creating proper infrastructure for shelters may only add to their suffering. I believe the solution lies in a balanced approach: stronger sterilisation and vaccination programmes, better waste management and community-driven adoption initiatives. Stray dogs are also part of our city’s ecosystem, and while safety is crucial, compassion should not be lost in the process.

Vaani Mehra

Court step is praiseworthy

As the years have passed, the stray dog menace has increased manifold in our city. Since Independence, many political parties have ruled, but I completely fail to understand why not even a single one of them cared to curb the rising dog menace in our city. Despite the issue having been raised by me in these columns and other media on many occasions, these have fallen on deaf ears of our MC authorities who appear to be in deep slumber. Irrespective of political parties who have ruled, the MC authorities have done nothing to develop our city. They have failed to provide even basic amenities like street lights, roads, clean water etc. Moreover, stray dogs have targeted all age-groups, as they can be seen roaming around in every nook and corner of the city. In our country, this menace has assumed alarming proportions due to wrong policies. The step taken by the Supreme Court is praiseworthy. The need of the hour is for the MC authorities to shed their indifference and take immediate, concrete action by constructing the maximum number of kennels and shelter homes for street dogs in our city.

Sanjay Chawla

Safety important but compassion needed

The recent rise in stray dog attacks, particularly on children and infants, highlights the urgent need for strict measures. In this regard, the Supreme Court’s order to confine stray dogs to shelters and prevent their release into public spaces is a necessary step to ensure public safety. However, while safety must remain the priority, compassion cannot be overlooked. Stray dogs should be properly vaccinated, given medical care and housed in humane conditions. Shelters should remain accessible to animal lovers who wish to visit, feed or adopt them. At the same time, long-term solutions such as sterilisation programmes and adoption drives must be strengthened to prevent overcrowded shelters. This balanced approach—protecting human lives while responsibly caring for animals—can help the city move towards both safety and compassion.

Prabhjot Kaur

People need relief from menacing strays

The Supreme Court has recently modified its previous order of keeping the stray dogs in shelter homes. That judgment was welcomed by people who were concerned and aware of the horrific and murderous attacks by violent stray dogs on people, particularly the helpless senior citizens and innocent children. The mental pain, suffering and agony caused by the violent attacks of the stray dogs can only be expressed by the affected who have lost their children and family members. Nobody has any objection to keeping a pet dog, but nobody can justify the roaming around of furious stray dogs, spreading fear and horror among people walking on foot or commuters in the streets of villages and cities. Whether the previous order of the Supreme Court was hypothetical or not as the financially ill-managed local bodies do not have enough resources to build shelter homes for stray dogs, that order was a ray of hope for clearing the streets and open areas from the horror of stray dogs.

Kulwant Singh Ankhi

Mass sterilisation only alternative

The SC order dated August 11 regarding moving of stray dogs from localities to shelters has seen some changes. Now, the only alternative left is mass sterilisation of strays by the Municipal Corporation. This negligence on their part has led to a manifold increase in the number of stray dogs. This should be applicable throughout the country as the incidents of mauling adults, children and two-wheeler drivers are increasing by the day. Had they been sterilised decades back, the dog population would not have increased but controlled. Then they would not have been a threat to humans. The SC should send out a strict advisory for mass sterilisation of all strays to prevent the public from getting bitten and affected by rabies.

Indu Aroura

Awareness needed for harmony

Sterilisation and vaccination of stray dogs has to be done by opening more valid centres. Trained staff for catching dogs with the help of feeders in the area for less trauma is required. Is there any data that the number of dogs has increased as I see very few of them except in the areas on the city’s outskirts? Awareness in educational institutions and public areas for co-existing with man’s best friend to prevent dog bites is a priority. Unless it’s a rabid dog, no bite is without human cruelty behind it. What we are ignorant about, we fear, and what we fear, we hate, and what we hate, we want to destroy. Hence, awareness is the need of the hour. Practical, wise and humane measures have to be adopted in keeping with our culture. The media too has to show both its sides. There have been horrendous cases of mindless cruelty against puppies and docile dogs but the media never talks about it

Pratibha Panghel

Vaccinate clinically, not casually

Having raised a German shepherd from 2008- 2018, I do support the Supreme Court’s decision. I believe that cases of rabies have been rising to a large or considerable extent and sometimes children get bitten by dogs. There is even a high demand for anti-rabies vaccine and in some cases, persons have died despite receiving the anti-rabies vaccine. This is a serious issue. That the stray dog population has risen to a large extent goes without doubt. I am not a dog lover, but my children and wife are. Dogs are not pests. They are territorial. They believe that the world belongs to them. They guard you. Even in remote villages, while death stalks them in the form of wild animals, they defend and become a hapless prey to wild animals. It needs constant monitoring and vaccination. I do not think it is possible in our country where nothing happens in order. We let things go out of our hands. There is no awareness among the elected representatives of the people on controlling the stray dog population or removing dangerous and unhealthy dogs. Killing them is not the right thing to do, though there could have been human casualties which should have been avoided. Animal lovers or religious people who care for dogs should adopt street dogs and sterilise them. The courts don’t know the practicability or stark reality of shelters for dogs. Vaccinating all the dogs and removing unhealthy dogs should be done clinically, not just with dog-catchers.

Mohit Sharma

Appoint nodal officers to monitor

Stray dogs are a tell-tale description of our society and bad governance on the part of civic administration. Dogs and animals lovers have both been exploited to the hilt where the co-existence of dogs and humans is in danger. Rise in the population of stray dogs and their deadly attack on humans is a matter of serious concern to ponder over. The SC’s marching order to cage the street dogs to a place away from cities and townships is neither practicable nor applicable due to the short time limit and inadequate number of shelters. To check the growth of stray dogs, every Municipal Corporation, Municipal Committee and Zila Parishad should undertake the vaccination and sterilisation drive on a regular basis without fail. The drive should be monitored by a nodal officer. More shelter homes should be constructed to house the canines. Animal lovers and pet dog societies and NGOs can be involved in the daunting task to end the stray dog menace from society. If pet lovers’ society and clubs can organise big functions, why not ask them to adopt stray dogs and take responsibility for their rehabilitation. Dog feeding at public places should be banned and permitted only at dedicated feeding points to discourage fights among dogs over leftovers, prompting aggressive behaviour and fatal strikes on humans.

Anil Vinayak

Shortage of shelters poses challenge

The Supreme Court’s recent order is welcome. The order should be seen in the shadow of Animal Birth Control Rules, 2001. Such rules throw light on the pick-up of strays, neutered and vaccinated against rabies, before being released. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960 protects the strays. Due to a shortage of shelters, the implementation of the SC order will be a big challenge for the authorities concerned. Anyway, local NGOs and animal welfare organisations must come forward to create harmony between the residents and community animals.

Dr Kanwaljit Kaur

Humane, balanced approach needed

Stray dogs are not a menace by nature. They are often victims of human negligence, abandonment and lack of proper planning by civic authorities. Most of them live in extremely poor conditions, suffering from hunger, disease and abuse. Instead of viewing them solely as a threat, we must acknowledge our collective failure to implement long-term, humane solutions. The Animal Birth Control (ABC) and vaccination programmes must be strengthened. Educating communities about coexistence, responsible pet ownership and adopting stray dogs can also help.

Sarika Sharma

What’s the issue?

THE stray dog menace has assumed an alarming situation with state governments failing to take appropriate measures to sterilise them to control their population. The shocking instances of stray dogs mauling children as well as adults and commuters are being reported every day. The apex court recently directed authorities to move stray dogs to shelters in Delhi. The order was, however, later stayed by the court that said they should be released after sterilisation.

QUESTION for next week

Several city roads have developed potholes after monsoon rains lashed the city. What are your views on the subject?

Suggestions in not more than 150 words can be sent to amritsardesk@tribunemail.com by Thursday (August 28)