Shashwat Foundation stresses education, lawful compliance, and humane governance before the Supreme Court
New Delhi | In connection with the hearing before the Hon’ble Supreme Court on issues relating to community (stray) dogs, Shashwat Foundation reiterated that feeding community dogs is not a discretionary or voluntary act, but an essential and integral component of the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme mandated under law.
The Foundation stated that the ABC mechanism is entirely dependent on regular feeding, without which sterilisation, anti-rabies vaccination, monitoring, and humane management of community dogs cannot be effectively implemented.
Shashwat Foundation emphasised that community dog feeders perform a critical public service by contributing their personal time, resources, and finances to support the ABC programme and maintain stability within canine populations. Such individuals deserve recognition and institutional support, and must not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, physical violence, or threats of punitive action.
Addressing concerns related to public safety, the Foundation stated that dog bite prevention requires education, not conflict. It called upon local authorities to conduct structured awareness and training programmes for citizens on safe coexistence with community dogs, understanding canine behaviour, and responsible human conduct in shared public spaces.
The Foundation also highlighted the importance of institutionalising compassion at an early stage, recommending that schools mandatorily incorporate lessons on empathy, humane treatment of animals, and prevention of cruelty, in alignment with constitutional values and statutory animal welfare principles.
Speaking on the legal obligations of housing bodies, Advocate Harshad Garud, Legal Adviser for Shashwat Foundation, stated that Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs) are legally bound to comply with the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and have no authority to act unilaterally or in violation of the law.
On the misuse of the term “aggressive dog”, Advocate Kirti Ahuja, Counsel in the Supreme Court for Shashwat Foundation, clarified that there is no arbitrary or subjective definition of aggression. Any such determination must be based solely on objective assessment by competent authorities or qualified professionals, and not by RWAs or individual residents. She further noted that friendly and familiar community dogs approaching known feeders are often wrongly and maliciously labelled as “aggressive,” resulting in unlawful actions.
The Foundation observed that feeders—who interact with community dogs daily—are rarely bitten, underscoring that consistency, care, and compassion reduce conflict and promote coexistence.
Shashwat Foundation reiterated that the matter before the Hon’ble Supreme Court is not merely an animal welfare issue, but one concerning the rule of law, civic responsibility, and humane governance.
