In the wake of the recent Suo Moto judgment, which intensified debate and division across the country, a distinguished panel of parliamentarians, legal experts, activists, administrators, and civil society leaders convened to deliberate on a humane, constitutional, and nationally coordinated solution to street dog management in India. The panelists acknowledged that the judgment has deepened polarisation between community animal caregivers and those demanding the permanent removal of street dogs. This divide has resulted not only in increased violence against community animals, including disturbing incidents reported in Telangana, but also harassment and attacks on feeders and caretakers.
The panel collectively reinforced that the issue is not one of animals versus humans — it is about governance, accountability, empathy, and scientific policy implementation. They said India does not lack solutions but it lacks coordinated implementation.
The panel also emphasised that India must move away from reactive measures like culling and instead focus on scientific sterilisation, vaccination, accountability, and public awareness.
Cruelty toward animals a precursor to cruelty toward humans: Renuka Chowdhury
Senior parliamentarian Renuka Chowdhury stressed that cruelty toward animals is often a precursor to cruelty toward humans. She emphasised the urgent need to alter and strengthen laws accordingly. Highlighting successful adoption drives — including over 120–130 Indie dogs adopted in recent campaigns — she demonstrated that humane solutions are workable when backed by intent.
She pointed out the imbalance in media narratives, noting that while bite incidents receive widespread attention, the killing of a feeder did not receive proportional coverage. She asserted that both the Centre and State governments are accountable and revealed that for five years, no funding was allocated to states for implementation. She further raised concerns about illegal breeding and abandonment, and called for greater awareness, multilingual public education campaigns, and collaborative governance.
Human–dog conflict must be addressed responsibly: Priyanka Chaturvedi
Priyanka Chaturvedi, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP, acknowledged that human–dog conflict does exist and must be addressed responsibly. She called for auditable municipal spending records, transparent dashboards for data tracking (as introduced by BMC), and technological integration — including AI tools — to manage sterilization, vaccination, and complaint systems effectively.
She emphasised public–private partnerships, structured budgeting for technology-driven monitoring, and cross-party collaboration. “We cannot work in silos,” she noted, adding that coordinated action between Centre, State, and civil society is critical.
Anish Gawande highlights administrative bottlenecks in Maharashtra
Anish Gawande (NCP) MP highlighted administrative bottlenecks in Maharashtra, calling it a failure of municipal governance. He reiterated that the logical and legally backed solution is proper implementation of the ABC programme and urged unified public demands to apply political pressure for accountability and transparency.
Anjali Gopalan says political will is indispensable
Anjali Gopalan, activist, emphasised that NGOs can demonstrate what works, but political will is indispensable. Citing the Netherlands as a global example, she highlighted adoption drives and strict breeding control as effective models.
She warned that internationally documented patterns show that many perpetrators of violent crimes begin with acts of cruelty toward animals, often enabled by weak legal systems. Stronger enforcement, therefore, is a societal safeguard, not merely an animal welfare concern.
Poulomi Shukla says society unkind to animals cannot be kind to its children
Advocate Poulomi Pavini Shukla delivered a powerful intervention linking child welfare and animal welfare. She noted that a society unkind to animals cannot be kind to its children. Drawing attention to India’s estimated 31 million orphaned children and 1.68 crore children living on the streets, she questioned the prioritization of funds toward permanent dog shelters when critical human welfare sectors remain under-resourced.
She cautioned that large-scale sheltering could create health crises, including viral outbreaks affecting both animals and humans. Emphasizing community-based sterilization success — including achieving nearly 80% sterilization coverage over five years in Lucknow — she argued that humane, decentralized ABC implementation works.
Robin Singh advocates for grid-based sterilisation model
Robin Singh, Peepal Farm, advocated for a grid-based sterilization model — starting village by village and expanding outward — citing successful outcomes in Jaipur. This approach reduces mating cycles, lowers aggression, and naturally stabilizes populations. He stressed the need to educate children early, instilling compassion rather than fear.
Aishwarya Singh underscores interrelation between human and animal welfare
Aishwarya Singh, advocate at Delhi High Court, underscored the direct interrelation between human and animal welfare. She highlighted the alarming lack of awareness regarding post-bite care, noting that even major healthcare institutions lack clarity on established protocols. Education campaigns and systemic awareness upgrades, she stated, are urgently needed.
Key resolutions emerged from the discussion
• Immediate and adequate funding for the ABC programme.
• Transparent dashboards and auditable municipal spending records.
• Centre–State coordination and cross-party collaboration.
• Strict regulation of illegal breeding and abandonment.
• Public awareness campaigns on vaccinations and post-bite care.
• Education systems that cultivate empathy from early childhood.
• Formation of an expert advisory committee to assist the judiciary on scientific street dog management.
