Animal lovers protest SC ruling on stray dogs, demand humane solutions

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Candlelight flickered in front of the Secretariat on Sunday evening as animal lovers gathered under the banner of India Unites For Animals, a protest organised by People for Animals (PFA) Trivandrum. The protest was in the wake of a recent Supreme Court order that allows mass confinement of street dogs. Holding placards and candles, protesters called for scientific and compassionate alternatives to street dog management, including sterilisation, vaccination, licensing, and community-supported care systems. PFA Trivandrum secretary Latha Indira described the court order as reactionary and lacking a practical foundation. It is a reaction to a single news item without deeper thinking. India doesnt have enough shelters, and the existing ones run by NGOs are already overcrowded. You cannot just confine animals somewhere without feeding, vaccinating, or sterilising them, said Latha. Protestors warned that indiscriminate confinement would lead to suffering and violate both animal welfare norms. They emphasised the importance of the ABC (Animal Birth Control) programme but were also critical of its limitations. We are doing a genocide of native dogs. By pushing only for sterilisation, we are saying we dont want them to reproduce. Whats the alternative? We need licensing, public awareness, and responsible ownership. We also need government support, not just token programmes, said Latha. She argued that most dog bites reported as stray dog attacks were in fact from pet animals. Around 80% of the bite cases in preventive clinics come from domestic dogs, not strays. But since data collection is poor, the blame always falls on street dogs, she said. The protest drew attention to a wider failure in public health and civic infrastructure. This is not just an animal welfare issue. Its about how our system is broken. The government gives it the least priority and doesnt want to invest in proper infrastructure or decentralised ABC units. Feeders do so much of the work voluntarily, but they get no support. The government must take responsibility, Latha said. She also said that public perceptions are manipulated by media narratives. There is a powerful anti-dog campaign running with a lot of money behind it. In some panchayats, we have heard that people are being offered money to kill dogs. This has become a targeted hate campaign against animals, she said. Despite the lack of official response, PFA plans to continue their awareness programmes and protests. We submitted a detailed project proposal to the LSG minister before the court order came. We have received no response. But this is not the end. We plan to organise more protests across the state, added Latha.