Few cases before the Supreme Court have generated as much heat, howling and tail-wagging as the one on stray dogs. For once, the court appears to have realised a hard truth: there are no easy solutions
once man decided—since time immemorial—to treat the dog as his best friend.
Mythology meets modern law
In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira is willing to forgo heaven itself if his canine companion is denied entry. Heaven could wait; the dog could not. So when, in November, the apex court ordered the removal of stray dogs from public places to shelter homes, many citizens heaved a sigh of relief—until they discovered that the order had stepped squarely on the sensitive toes of India’s formidable dog lovers.
Rise of a powerful lobby
Today, they are not merely animal enthusiasts; they are a socio-legal category. Predominantly middle and upper-middle class, financially secure enough to take their pets for pedicures and swimming sessions, they also possess the resources to hire top-notch lawyers and pursue litigation all the way to the apex court. Few interest groups punch so far above their numerical weight.
Judicial candour on animal behaviour
The judges, to their credit, have begun to voice their own predicament. During this week’s hearing, the Bench made the painfully obvious observation that it is impossible to predict an animal’s behaviour or know whether a dog is in a “mood to bite”.
In a moment of judicial candour bordering on zoology, the learned judges also observed that cats and dogs are perpetual enemies. Cats, unlike dogs, serve a utilitarian purpose: they kill rodents. This was perhaps the first time that the Supreme Court publicly endorsed the cat as a working professional.
Sentiment versus safety
Man-eating tigers were not spared in the name of compassion. The message was unmistakable: sentiment cannot always override safety.
Administrative apathy exposed
Yet, prevention runs headlong into administrative apathy. The court noted that barely 10 states have filed compliance affidavits on animal birth control and shelter infrastructure, exposing a startling lack of urgency. It spoke of a “systemic failure” to secure sensitive public spaces—schools, hospitals and railway stations—from stray dog threats.
A problem of staggering scale
The scale of the problem is mind-boggling. India has about 5.25 crore stray dogs. Housing them would require 77,000 shelters; feeding them would cost Rs 62 crore a day. The courtroom, inevitably, became a kennel of competing philosophies.
When even highways aren’t spared
The Bench even turned its gaze to highways, where dogs and cattle roam freely. Forget highways; in the national capital, they already enjoy squatter’s rights.
Dogs, cats and the court
Perhaps the most telling remark came when the court expressed astonishment at the sheer number of pleas filed. “So many applications normally don’t even come in cases of humans,” it said. In India, stray dogs have truly gone to court—and brought cats, tigers and half the country along with them.
