The Voiceless On Trial

“A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself,” — by Josh Billings. Cute, right? But sadly, dogs aren’t considered that cute anymore, to say the least, as decided by the judiciary of our country.As I started this by quoting somebody famous and their anecdote, I was debating within myself whether I should dive straight into the pertinent question revolving around their very status — namely, their survival today in India.No, I’m not talking about your breed dog at home, which you might have bought at a very hefty price from some breeder who, in all probability, has either killed the weakest of the litter or abandoned them at some godforsaken place where the poor pups would have no chance of survival. As for the golden goose of the breeder — the very mother of the litter — after being bred at frequent intervals, when her body eventually gives up, she meets the same fate.No, this isn’t some random conjecture or assumption by me. This is something I know for a fact from my previous experiences.Today I am going to talk — yes — not about your breed dog, but about our community dogs. These are our very own Indian-bred dogs who are born on the same soil as you and me, surviving each day, scrounging from your thrown-away plates for food and shelter, enduring harsh weather conditions, trying to live with as much dignity as possible — of course relying on us humans for the very same, namely food and shelter.We Indians, after being ruled by the Britons for over 200 years, still suffer — I emphasize suffer — from this colonial hangover and the love for fair-skinned foreigners who looted us for centuries.What’s the big deal here, right? You might have questions. Questions as to where I am leading. The answer is simple: dogs.Now, harping back again — I believe the question is, why dogs? Why not, is my answer.As per the Supreme Court order issued earlier last year in November regarding community dogs — or street dogs or stray dogs, whatever you may call them — in a nutshell, the court order states that dogs need to be relocated to shelters, removed from their very birthplace — whether it be the premises of schools, colleges, bus stands, railway stations, hospitals, etc. — and go where exactly? Apparently to shelters which are largely non-existent.This directive came post the tragic incident of a rabid dog bite case. Agreed, it was a loss — a child’s life. Nothing can justify it. But what is the root cause of this incident?Rabies, as we all know, is a dangerous, deadly disease from which there is little respite once symptoms appear. But who is to be blamed — the child, the dog, or the system which should protect both?As per the law of the land, animal care guidelines, and the ABC Rules, animals — namely dogs in this case — should be sterilized, vaccinated, and then returned to the very place from where they were picked up for treatment or sterilization.So herein, the government fails. The failure of such procedures has culminated in:(a) an increase in dog births(b) a rise in conflict situations.It is also not unknown that many incidents cited by prosecution benches are often based on hearsay, sometimes exaggerating rabies cases and dog bites.The number of deaths due to pollution, starvation, rape, murder, and drunk driving exceeds dog bite fatalities by leaps and bounds. In several places, there have been minimal or no reported dog bite incidents for over a year. These facts speak volumes, Honorable Judges.On a personal note, if you ask me, I judge a locality and its inhabitants by the health of their community dogs. I have been a feeder and caregiver for a long time now and have turned into an animal activist.If people like us do not voice their angst — namely the dogs’ anguish — against animal cruelty, then these voiceless beings would long have been eradicated from the face of the earth, added to the list of extinct species that were once called man’s best friend.If only animals could speak, you would be taken aback by the sheer atrocities we humans inflict on them.Imagine yourself going without food for a single day, having injuries or pain in your body. Wouldn’t you have a mental breakdown at the slightest provocation — maybe even a trivial one?Now think the same in the context of strays: going without food not for a day, but for days; perhaps suffering an injury from a bike or car running over them while they sleep curled up on an empty stomach; suffering severe spine or leg injuries; or maybe witnessing their babies getting run over by some drunken driver.What do you expect then? Yet, if you give them a biscuit, they will still wag their tails happily — though perhaps a little confused about whether to approach this human or not, as their previous human experiences may not have been so kind.Then again, you open your Facebook in the morning and find three puppies poisoned in some area, or ten puppies beaten to death, or 1,500 dogs and 80 monkeys reportedly killed by lethal injections in Telangana, and so on and so forth.How could you humans mix poison in their food while they wag their tails in trust? How could you beat them to death? What harm have they done?They are hungry — hungry for your love and a morsel of your food. Then tell me, how and why would they trust you?And why would they not act defensive when your kind has hurt them time and again?How could you judges not see all this?You follow the Western world in so many aspects — their art, culture, films, fashion, and now even food. Pasta, pizza, and burgers have almost taken over Indian cuisine. But you choose not to follow their animal protection rules everywhere you look.First-world countries have taken drastic steps against animal abusers, punishing them with jail sentences and hefty fines, thereby setting examples.And what are we doing here?Instead of following their examples, we are setting our own — by removing our very own community animals who have been our most loyal companions for ages.”Furthermore, what message are we giving to our children? By normalizing cruelty toward animals, we are unknowingly teaching children the first steps toward becoming desensitized — even criminal in mindset. It is well documented in criminal psychology that many violent offenders begin with animal cruelty before escalating to crimes against humans.History shows clear patterns. Notorious serial killers like Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Kemper exhibited disturbing behavior toward animals in their early years before committing heinous crimes against people. Animal cruelty is often the rehearsal stage.So what are we teaching the next generation?Number one — that empathy is optional.Number two — that violence against the voiceless is acceptable.And to those who may not have pets at home, or who do not consider themselves dog lovers — you may be missing the simple but profound joys these animals bring.A dog teaches you happiness in its purest form. You open the fridge — they come running, tail wagging. You step out for just twenty seconds and return — they greet you as if you’ve come back after years. They teach you how to live in the moment. They teach you loyalty without conditions. They teach you love without language. And yet, despite all this, today my world feels divided into two parts: animal lovers and animal haters.Unfortunately, many recent actions and interpretations — including this Supreme Court order — appear to embolden those who harbour hostility toward community animals. Since this directive, incidents of animal cruelty seem to be rising across different regions.Therefore, I earnestly urge our state government to take stronger, humane, and lawful measures — measures that protect both citizens and animals — and to ensure that existing animal welfare rules are properly implemented rather than bypassed.I began with a quote, and I wish to end with one — the timeless words of Mark Twain: "The more I see of man, the more I love my dogs.”The writer is a film actor & animal rights activist