Be their Hero and Speak up!
The incredible journey of Aloka, the Indie ‘peace dog’, from the streets of India currently on a 2,300-mile walk across continents is trending on social media. Meanwhile animal rights activists and citizens held large-scale protests at Jantar Mantar in Delhi and in various cities like Pune and Hyderabad. Protesters argue that mass removal is inhumane and violates the ABC Rules.
The Supreme Court of India is scheduled to hear further arguments and monitor compliance on January 7,2026. The Court previously expressed concern over the "grim" situation of dog bite incidents and its impact on India's global image. However, there is no nation on earth that has resolved street-dog management through detention and elimination.
There are however, nations that have done it through science, cooperation,and respect for both people and animals. France offers one such model. By the 1980s, French cities were struggling with uncontrolled dog populations. The government implemented a combination of mandatory registration, sterilisation incentives, strict enforcement of pet abandonment laws, and robust waste management — all coordinated by the municipalities leading to a solution.
The Netherlands has successfully resolved its stray dog problem, achieving a "stray dog-free" status through strict laws, mandatory microchipping, widespread sterilization (CNVR programs), and promoting adoption with incentives, effectively ending uncontrolled breeding and abandonment.
Similarly, Bhutan has also made significant strides by achieving 100% stray dog sterilization and vaccination through its national program. These successes highlight that a combination of policy, infrastructure, enforcement, and community involvement is key to managing stray dog populations humanely and effectively.
The Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, first notified under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and updated in 2023,have already laid down a clear, evidence-based national protocol: Capture-sterilise-vaccinate-release (CSVR). They embody the scientific consensus of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) that sterilisation and vaccination are the only sustainable ways to control the dog population and prevent rabies. But the apathy in implementation of these guidelines have resulted in this humongous chaos.
Culling of stray dogs simply opens ecological “vacuum zones”, inviting unsterilised dogs from surrounding areas to move in, restarting the cycle of fear and anger. Stray dogs are not outsiders in our cities. They are part of the neighbourhoods we share. Some are abandoned by their owners and others are born to lost dogs .They are wanderers at heart, warriors by choice. Street animals live where they do because they have adapted to our urban spaces. They recognise familiar people and guard their territories.
Someone rightly said that though the street is harsh,the stray's spirit is unyielding. Each scar of a stray is a badge of undying tenacity. Bruised but unbeaten, stray dogs walk with a quiet grace and their journeys are a testament of unyeilding life's will.
STRAYS HAVE A LIMITED LIFE EXPECTANCY EVEN WHEN THEY BAND TOGETHER IN PACKS.THEY ARE PREY TO DISEASE, PARASITES, WEATHER, HUMAN CRUELTY, AUTOMOBILES.
Stray dogs capture our hearts with their resilience, spirit, and capacity for love despite their challenging circumstances.Their stories remind us of the profound impact kindness and compassion can have on creatures that roam the streets. When cared for responsibly through sterilisation and vaccination, they help maintain stability rather than chaos.
True solutions come from coexistence, not removal. From community care, not displacement. Shelters play an important role, but they cannot replace the everyday responsibility of neighbourhoods coming together to care for these voiceless creatures who live amongst us. They love just as deeply but are left behind. Be their Hero and speak up for them.
#karuwakispeaks #AdoptDontShop #straydogs #SaveIndianDogs #IndieDogs
Note:(pics from internet for illustration only)
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