After a wave of backlash, India's Supreme Court has walked back its shocking order to round up all stray dogs and keep them permanently confined in shelters. The original decision sparked outrage from animal lovers worldwide, because shelters would quickly become overcrowded and culling would almost certainly follow.
The new ruling allows healthy, vaccinated, and sterilized strays to return to their communities. But there's a dangerous loophole: dogs deemed "aggressive" may still be confined indefinitely. Without strict, scientific guidelines for what "aggressive" really means, this label could easily be abused to justify the original plan to round up any number of dogs.
Sign the petition to demand that India's Supreme Court and government establish strict, science-based rules for defining "aggressive dogs," so this order cannot be twisted into an excuse for cruelty.
In India, millions of dogs live as community animals. They are not property, but they are not unwanted either. Residents feed them, care for them, and consider them part of daily life. They deserve safety, not the constant threat of being captured or killed under a vague label.
India has a chance to expand on its national policy rooted in compassion, vaccination, and sterilization – humane solutions that protect both people and animals. But it must act now to ensure this ruling strengthens protections, rather than weakening them.
Sign now to protect India's stray dogs from being unfairly targeted or culled.
