Hundreds gather at Freedom Park as Bengaluru joins pan-India protest over stray dog policy

Bengaluru:

Bengaluru on Sunday joined citizens in nearly 50 cities across India in nationwide “Do or Die” protests opposing what demonstrators termed “state-sanctioned cruelty” against stray animals.

More than 400 people, including families and children, gathered at Freedom Park, demanding that the Supreme Court hear their concerns and ensure a “fair trial” for stray animals.

The protest venue echoed with slogans such as “Nyaaya beku,” “No dogs, no votes,” and “Awaara nahi, humara hai,” as demonstrators held placards depicting instances of alleged cruelty against dogs and cats reported from across Karnataka.

As part of the movement, activists in Bengaluru announced the launch of the WatchDogs initiative, under which citizens will monitor and legally intervene in cases of illegal animal pickups and cruelty. Protesters also demanded the formation of an oversight committee comprising police officials, animal welfare volunteers and representatives from the Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) to resolve conflicts related to stray animal management.

Majari Chaitanya, founder trustee of South Bengaluru Cares, said the issue went beyond animal welfare. “This is not just about dogs. It is about the rule of law, governance failure and public safety. We want GBA to give us written assurance that they will stop illegally picking up dogs and confining them in cages. We have found dogs locked up for days without food or water. Orders are being twisted and implemented with impunity,” he alleged.

Vikash Bafna, founder trustee of Friends for Animal Trust, alleged that Animal Birth Control (ABC) shelters were being pressured by GBA officials to accept dogs from what he called “fake bite cases.” “Shelters have no space but are forced to keep healthy dogs in filthy conditions. Even three-month-old puppies are being labelled as biting dogs and left to die. In a recent raid at Gauribidanur, 70 dogs were found crammed into a cage at a waste management plant without food or water,” he said, calling it “state-sponsored cruelty.”

Radha Amarnath, founder of ASRA and an ABC programme partner, corroborated the claims, stating that officials had admitted to the lack of infrastructure. “We were told, ‘there is no infrastructure, you figure it out,’” she said.

Highlighting the financial implications, lawyer Sathwik Putta said government estimates indicated ₹575 crore would be spent merely on caging dogs in shelters in Karnataka. “This excludes ABC, vaccination, construction and maintenance costs. ABC implementation costs a fraction of this and is proven to work. The question is: what problem is being solved and at whose expense?” he asked.

Aniruddha Ravindra of Praana Foundation and an Animal Welfare Warden questioned government spending priorities. “There is no money for children’s midday meals, teachers’ salaries or sanitary products in public schools, yet public funds are being spent on inhumane and illogical measures,” he said, demanding an immediate halt to alleged cruelty against stray animals.