Citizens raise concerns over future of Guwahati’s street dogs

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Citizens, animal welfare groups and regular dog feeders gathered near Sati Radhika Udyan in Uzan Bazar on Saturday to raise concerns about the fate of community dogs in Guwahati. The meet took place amid discussions prompted by recent Supreme Court observations, which many believed could lead to the displacement of street dogs or their transfer to confinement facilities.

Participants said any move to remove the animals would disturb the long-standing coexistence between neighbourhoods and their local dog groups. Several residents noted that the animals had become part of their everyday lives, forming bonds of trust built over years. They cautioned that relocating them could cause behavioural problems, including confusion, aggression and difficulties in monitoring vaccinations.

Speakers at the gathering urged the city to uphold humane and scientifically backed methods of managing street dog populations. They insisted that the Animal Birth Control programme and regular anti-rabies vaccinations remained the only proven and sustainable measures to protect public health and animal welfare.

Animal rights organizations added that relocation had repeatedly failed in various parts of India, merely shifting concerns elsewhere rather than addressing them.

Those present expressed hope that authorities would adopt a compassionate, community-centred approach that safeguarded both residents and Guwahati’s community dogs.

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