Citizens, animal feeders and welfare volunteers gathered in Uzan Bazar, Guwahati, to advocate for the protection and humane treatment of community dogs amid growing concern over discussions linked to the Supreme Court’s recent observations on stray dog management.
Participants opposed any move to pound, relocate or displace community dogs, saying such actions were neither humane nor scientifically effective. They stressed that community dogs formed an integral part of neighbourhoods and must be treated with dignity and compassion.
Protesters urged authorities to strengthen lawful, science-based measures, including Scientific Animal Birth Control programmes, mass anti-rabies vaccination drives and public awareness initiatives promoting responsible coexistence. Animal welfare experts have maintained that these interventions remain the only sustainable and legally endorsed methods to protect both public safety and animal well-being.
Organisers described the gathering as a collective pledge to ensure that Guwahati adopts humane, evidence-based practices for managing community animals.
Animal rights activist and feeder Debanjan Mukherjee said pounding dogs amounted to punishment, adding that compassion backed by science should guide policy. Another feeder, Arpita Baruah, said the trust shown by community dogs demanded protection, calling pounding “cruelty disguised as policy.”
