Young school students will protest against the recent Supreme Court directive calling for the rounding up of community dogs and cattle, joining hands with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. The protest will be part of a national day of action, with similar events planned simultaneously in Kolkata and Goa.
Modern School Students Take a Stand at Azad Maidan
Students from The Modern School in Girgaon will take a compassionate stand for their four-legged neighbours by protesting at Azad Maidan on Tuesday at 12 pm. Wearing community dog and cow masks, the students will join PETA India supporters dressed in dog and cow costumes, holding signs such as ‘Dogs and Cows Are Mumbaikars Too’, and others urging kindness and calling on the Supreme Court to reverse the directive.
Children Distribute Bandanas to Show Community Support
The children will also distribute bright ‘Save Desi Dogs’ bandanas and tie them onto local dogs to demonstrate that community dogs are loved, cared for, and belong in their neighbourhoods. Meanwhile, PETA India will distribute plant-based milk to passersby.
Dr. Swati Shiralkar, principal of The Modern School, said, “We teach our students that kindness is strength. Today, they are standing in solidarity for their friends, the animals with whom we share the planet.”
PETA Says Mass Impounding Is ‘Cruel and Impossible’
Utkarsh Garg, PETA India’s lead for campaigns and creative projects, said, “These children understand something some adults do not — that dogs and cows are members of our communities who deserve kindness, not imprisonment. Displacing and jailing up to millions of animals is impossible, unlawful, and cruel. The only solution that works to reduce the dog population is sterilisation, vaccination, and compassion.”
PETA Cites Legal and Logistical Challenges
According to PETA India, the country has over 60 million dogs and cats living on the streets, and 8.8 million are already languishing in overcrowded shelters. There are also over 5 million stray cattle, most abandoned by the dairy industry once they are no longer profitable.
“The idea of impounding these animals in non-existent shelters or building boundary walls around bus depots and railway stations to keep dogs out is not only unworkable but also illegal under the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, which prohibit the displacement of community dogs,” a spokesperson said.
Call to Regulate Pet Trade and Promote Adoption
The animal welfare organisation also called on state governments to shut down unregistered pet shops and breeders who sell animals like commodities to buyers who often abandon them, further swelling the number of animals in shelters. Instead, the group urged the public to adopt dogs and cats in need from shelters or the streets, sterilise companion animals, and treat community animals with kindness.
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