Public Outrage Mounts In Mumbai Over Supreme Court’s Stray Dog Crackdown

The anger began simmering outside housing societies and municipal offices, and by the weekend, it had spilt onto the streets of Dadar, Bandra, Mulund, Andheri and parts of South Mumbai. Students, senior citizens, animal feeders, delivery workers, housing society residents and even daily-wage workers stood shoulder to shoulder, holding placards that read “Dogs Are Not Disposable”, “Justice for the Voiceless”, and “Supreme Court, Hear Us Too.”

Many protestors described the Supreme Court’s order mandating the relocation of street dogs as “a disgrace to the institution” and “deeply unfair to animals whose only crime is existing.” They accused the judiciary and the State government of showing a “shocking lack of humanity” toward community dogs who have lived peacefully in neighbourhoods for years. “This is not justice. This is cruelty in the name of law,” said 52-year-old Malti Khedekar, who feeds strays in Dadar. “If the Supreme Court can’t protect the innocent, then what hope do these animals have? We will not allow our dogs to be taken away.”

Across Bandra, teenagers and elderly residents stood together at Carter Road with bowls of water beside their protest banners. “We grew up with these dogs,” said a 17-year-old boy. “They are part of our community. Forcing them into overcrowded shelters is torture, and we won’t stay silent.”

In Mulund East, a proposed 1,000-dog shelter sparked fresh outrage. Residents said their opposition was not anti-animal but against mismanagement. Still, many joined the broader movement, insisting the solution can’t come at the cost of the dogs. The protest included domestic workers in Sion, corporate employees in Lower Parel, retired couples in Vile Parle, and college students in Bandra. The diversity revealed Mumbai’s deep bond with its strays. Dozens marched with their adopted community dogs, some carrying them as symbols of the battle ahead.

Mumbai is home to around 100,000 stray dogs, but the city has only eight functional shelters to house them, a stark mismatch that has thrown both the animals and the civic administration into turmoil, reports showed. Recent directives to relocate stray dogs from public spaces have triggered a wave of concern among residents, activists and animal feeders, who warn that the city is simply not equipped to handle such a massive shift.

Vijay Rangare, animal activist and former president, People for Animals (PFA) – Mumbai, Maharashtra, said that one shelter with quality services costs Rs 20 lakh to build and houses around 100 dogs. “Will the BMC build a shelter that costs Rs 20 lakh which is for 100 dogs. To house Mumbai’s dogs, they will need to allocate crores. Does the BMC have the budget to do so?” he asked. On BMC’s decision to build a shelter in Mulund, Rangare said: “We are in talks with the Veterinary and other departments of the state government. They went on with the decision to make a shelter but did not consult us. If needed we will protest for the rights of the dogs,” Rangare said.

If even a third of the city’s stray population were to be relocated, Mumbai would require shelter space for at least 40,000 dogs. However, the city has no long-term shelters for ABC-compliant community dogs.

With the average lifespan of a stray dog reaching up to 12–15 years, shelters need to be long-term, humane and professionally staffed, not holding centres created overnight to comply with court orders, protestors argued.

The Supreme Court’s directive to remove strays from public and institutional areas has increased pressure. The order requires dogs to be sterilised and vaccinated before being moved. But it does not answer a key question: where will these dogs go? Protestors also said the judiciary failed to consider operational realities. Its instructions sound humane, but overlook the city’s infrastructure. Relocation without new capacity may push healthy street dogs into overcrowded, poorly managed shelters.

Role of community dogs in the urban ecosystem

Community dogs play a vital role in local ecosystems and are often fed, cared for, and protected by residents. Forced relocation will cause stress, disease and a breakdown of existing sterilisation patterns. The focus should instead be on expanding animal birth control programmes, creating decentralised shelters and improving coordination between residents and municipal officials.

The broader issue goes beyond a single neighbourhood. Mumbai’s stray dog crisis reflects a deeper governance failure, one where judicial expectations, civic limitations and public anxieties collide, leaving thousands of animals at risk. Without a clear blueprint for expanding shelters, hiring trained staff, ensuring humane conditions and strengthening sterilisation drives, the city risks turning a public health directive into a humanitarian crisis. For now, the stray dogs of Mumbai, loyal, territorial, often beloved members of local communities, wait in silence as humans debate their fate. Their future will depend on whether the city and the State can move beyond reactive measures and adopt a compassionate, long-term vision. Anything less would be yet another betrayal of the most vulnerable beings who share this city with us.