Life is cheap in the animal world. In Bengaluru, a caretaker recently slammed a chihuahua to death in an apartment lift; during Diwali, some miscreants tied crackers to a dog’s legs and exploded them, while others stuffed a dog’s mouth with fireworks and set them alight. In our anthropocentric world, horror stories of animal abuse pop up regularly. This happens even after activists have brought about a major shift in laws to curb animal cruelty—under Section 325 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, killing or maiming an animal attracts five years in prison, a penalty, or both. However, the provision is observed more in breach.
At the heart of the hatred for animals lay fear and the conflict over sharing habitats. Chilling incidents of packs of dogs mauling children and senior citizens, and rising cases of rabies have made them targets. This August, a Supreme Court bench stayed another bench’s decision to move all strays in the National Capital Territory into shelters after a petition showed it ran counter to the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2023; instead, it ordered all states and Union Territories to report back after creating dedicated feeding spaces for strays. When none did, in a rare move earlier this week, the top court summoned and upbraided all the chief secretaries, who tendered an unconditional apology.
The act of feeding street dogs itself sparks a furious debate in cities. While animal lovers claim it blunts aggressive canine behaviour, others warn it increases the menace. The Bengaluru authorities’ plan to provide one nutritious meal a day at designated feeding locations for the city’s street dogs—a step farther than the Supreme Court’s order—can put the debate to rest. It can prevent dogs from forming aggressive packs to hunt for food. Revitalised vaccination and sterilisation programmes, which suffered during and after the pandemic, will also help. Maintaining demarcated habitats for larger animals is itself proving to be a tough ask for governments at a time human habitats are expanding and animal conflicts are on the rise. At least in our cities, we will have to come to terms with the fact that dogs are here to stay. The Supreme Court’s order, itself the result of a careful consideration of the dangers, cannot be wished away. In its spirit, the motto should be to live and let live.