'Locked In MCD Van For Hours': Animal Lovers Express Outrage After Stray Dogs Denied Return To JLN Stadium Post World Para Athletics Championships

The World Para Athletics Championships 2025 in New Delhi faced an unfortunate setback last Friday after two foreign coaches were bitten by stray dogs in separate incidents at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. Now a shocking moment has unfolded where an Instagram page named "streetdogsofbombay" recently shared a distressing video with a caption that has sent shockwaves among animal lovers and activists.

It states, “OUTRAGEOUS & HEARTBREAKING! 16 Sterilized, friendly JLN Stadium dogs — who’ve lived there peacefully for years have been locked in an MCD van since 7 AM, left hungry, thirsty, and terrified. These innocent souls were picked up during the Para Athletics Championship and, as per Supreme Court orders, should have been released back to their home, the stadium grounds. But shockingly, Mr. Abhishek from the Security Team has ordered to block their lawful return! Why punish voiceless beings who’ve done no wrong? They’re not criminals, they’re part of the stadium family. Please tag media.iccsai, mansukhmandviya, YASMinistr, please intervene immediately! Let these dogs go home before it’s too late.”

The post reportedly argues that these 16 dogs, sterilized, peaceful, and longtime inhabitants of Jawaharlal Nehru (JLN) Stadium grounds, were picked up by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) during the World Para Athletics Championship. The account asserts that Supreme Court directives require stray dogs, once sterilized and vaccinated, to be returned to their original habitat, and accuses a security official of blocking that return.

Context: Dog Bite Incidents at the Championships

The background to this situation is alarming. During the Para Athletics Championships, two foreign coaches, one from Kenya and another from Japan, were reportedly bitten by stray dogs on or near the stadium premises.

Kenya’s coach Dennis Mwanzo described how he felt something touch his leg, turned around, and discovered a dog biting him. He was promptly treated, given anti-rabies care, and hospitalized briefly. Similarly, a Japanese assistant coach, Meiko Okumatsu, was also reportedly bitten while on the stadium grounds.

Organizers blamed repeated feeding of stray dogs near the stadium as contributing to the animals’ return, despite efforts by authorities to clear them. They also noted that the MCD had previously been requested (on August 21) to clear stray dogs from the stadium area.

The Dilemma: Safety vs Animal Welfare

This incident encapsulates a difficult balance. On one hand, coaches and athletes have experienced safety threats; unwanted canine-human interactions during a global event are unacceptable. On the other hand, the dogs in question appear to be nonviolent residents of the stadium precincts who had coexisted peacefully until this crisis.

If the dogs were indeed picked up indiscriminately and held without water, food, or humane treatment, that constitutes neglect of their welfare. If their return is being obstructed without valid reasoning, that may violate both animal welfare norms and Supreme Court mandates.