Mumbai: The brutal killing of Mikey, an eight-year-old community dog residing in Madh’s Raheja Exotica township, has sparked nationwide outrage after multiple actors have demanded justice for the stray. However, local animal welfare advocates argue that Mikey’s death is not an isolated act of cruelty, but a structural symptom of a dangerous misinterpretation of the Supreme Court's directives on stray dog management and has initiated a wave of unlawful evictions and harassment across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
SC Directives Misinterpreted Widely
Activists state that a series of directives regarding the regulation of public feeding and the management of stray animals in high-footfall institutional areas has emboldened hostile residential management committees and individuals to take the law into their own hands. The Free Press Journal had earlier reported that the court’s mention of euthanasia for terminally ill, rabid and aggressive dogs has also been misinterpreted by individuals and several media platforms as a free hand to kill stray animals.
The panic generated by recent legal developments has manifested clearly in large residential complexes. At the massive Lodha Amara society in Thane, animal feeders have alleged that the management has deployed a private "dog squad" tasked specifically with aggressively ousting street dogs from the society's internal premises.
Displacement Leads to Fatal Accidents
According to the feeders, the continuous, forced displacement of these territorial animals by the private squad has led to catastrophic results. Driven from their familiar resting areas, the disoriented dogs have fled into high-traffic peripheral roads. Feeders alleged that at least two community dogs, named Coco and Jackie, were recently struck and killed within a week by speeding cars as a direct consequence of being relentlessly chased out of the complex.
Under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules 2023, street dogs cannot be permanently removed or relocated from their established territories. “Using private security to force dogs onto busy municipal roads bypasses statutory guidelines entirely, converting a management issue into a safety hazard for both the animals and motorists,” said one of the feeders on condition of anonymity.
Bleaching Powder Used in Vile Parle
In Mumbai's western suburbs, a few residents of the Everest Cleopatra society in Vile Parle (E) have reportedly turned to chemical measures to deter animals from entering common areas. It has been alleged that members of the residential society have deliberately sprinkled bleaching powder across the stilt parking spaces to prevent community dogs from sitting or resting in the shade.
Mehul Gohil, an animal welfare activist and a resident of the society, said, "Sprinkling chemical irritants like bleaching powder in areas where animals rest constitutes active cruelty. It can cause chemical burns to their paws and severe respiratory distress if inhaled. It is also harmful for humans who inhale the gases released from it."
BMC Issues Notice to Society
Last month, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) Veterinary Health Department issued a notice to the society’s secretary and chairman, educating them about the Animal Welfare Board of India’s (AWBI) guidelines.
Further south in Bandra (W), Qureshi Nagar near Jama Masjid also saw two cases of animal cruelty. A 1.5-year-old community dog Ronnie was tried to be burned alive on June 8 on the allegations of having bit one of the residents. The dog sustained severe burn injuries in his genital area and lost one eye in the attack. It is currently undergoing treatment at the Youth Organization in Defence of Animals (YODA) centre. Another dog in the same locality was also assaulted with stones a few days prior to assault on Ronnie, leaving the animal paralysed.
Rescue Shelter Faces Legal Uncertainty
The pressure has extended to rescue infrastructure as well. In South Mumbai’s Grant Road, a privately run rescue facility Fur-rida's Animal & Rehabilitation Trust, has been plunged into legal uncertainty following unexpected intervention from the local municipal corporation. The BMC’s dog control department issued a handwritten directive ordering the shelter to immediately release all 40 dogs currently under its foster care. The letter, dated May 30, alleged that the trust was operating in violation of AWBI guidelines.
The informal nature of the directive has drawn heavy criticism from legal experts and activists, who question why a senior veterinary officer would issue an administrative order to shut down a rehabilitation space using a stamped-less, un-numbered handwritten note. While the Supreme Court highlighted the failure of civic bodies to efficiently implement an animal birth control program, forcing a shelter to release 40 animals – many of whom are recovering from injuries or medical procedures – undermines municipal goals and shifts the burden onto city streets.
Activists Warn of Escalating Conflict
As police investigations proceed into the killing of Mikey at Madh Island, Mumbai's animal welfare community warns that without strict enforcement of anti-cruelty laws and clear guidelines from the BMC, the misinterpretation of judicial orders will continue to result in vigilantism, illegal relocations, and escalating conflict across the city's residential quarters.
Roshan Pathak, an animal rights advisor with InDefence Of Strays, said, “Every municipal body began adhering to regulations following a Supreme Court ruling but it has been nearly six months since the court mandated a feeding zone for a feeder and still no feeding zone has been assigned. Mumbai lacks collective efforts from the BMC and NGOs and as a result, stray animals continue to suffer cruelty and their feeders face harassment."
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