Dogged humanity

On August 11, a Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan ordered the government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT), the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), and authorities of Noida, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Faridabad to pick up stray dogs from all localities, and create dog shelters or pounds where they will be sterilised, dewormed, and immunised.

- CHINTAN GIRISH MODI

The court stated that the directive was meant to protect children, visually impaired people, the elderly, and homeless people living on the streets from dog bites that could lead to rabies.

Anticipating the public outrage in response to their order, the judges added, "Any hindrance or obstruction that may be caused by any individual or organisation in the smooth and effective implementation of our aforesaid directions will be viewed as contempt of this Court and we shall proceed to take appropriate action in accordance with law."

This has not stopped dog lovers, animal rights activists, politicians, and celebrities from speaking out against what they view as an impractical, hasty, and unsustainable decision that is lacking in compassion.

Photographer and art director Rohit Chawla's book Rain Dogs gets to the heart of why human beings care about stray dogs, and what makes their blood boil when they imagine the fate awaiting these animals in conditions of captivity, restricting their natural state of being.

It grew out of his friendship with stray dogs during the Covid-19 pandemic when he "sought refuge under the monsoon skies of Goa" in 2021. He convinced a hotel to open up a sea-facing room for him, though they had no staff or functioning kitchen to support his stay.