Delhi’s Dog Lovers Rally Against Court-Ordered Stray Relocation
Activist Jasmeet Kaur with stray dogs in New Delhi! (Image B hawna Malik)
Lawyers, activists, and residents unite to challenge a controversial court order to move stray dogs out of Delhi-NCR
By BHAWNA MALIK
NEW DELHI, August 12, 2025 — For some, he’s Blacky. For others, Kalu. But for his New Rajinder Nagar community, this black indie dog is family. His mornings start at 5:30 AM with pats, belly rubs, and biscuits.
Yet, Blacky — like hundreds of strays across Delhi — now faces losing his home after the court, taking suo motu cognisance, ordered the relocation of all stray dogs from Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurugram, and Noida.
The verdict has sparked outrage among animal lovers, activists, and former Union Minister Maneka Gandhi, who called it “impractical” and “disconnected from ground realities.”
In New Rajinder Nagar, residents organised a protest against the order. Advocate Divyam Khera, who founded the Care for All NRN WhatsApp group during the 2020 lockdown, said the group started to share distress calls about hungry strays, adoption appeals, and missing pets.
“The MCD has no funds or infrastructure to house lakhs of dogs. Their claim of large-scale sterilisation is unrealistic. Why not continue sterilisation drives instead? Many strays suffer from hunger, disease, or accidents — why can’t the MCD address these problems?” Khera asked, also highlighting the absence of a 24×7 veterinary hospital and free diagnostics for strays.
Nikhil Dewan, who joined a protest at India Gate, echoed the sentiment: “Who will speak for these innocent lives? It’s the government’s duty to protect them.”
Animal welfare activist Jasmeet Kaur Arora, who has been rescuing and adopting strays for 13 years, also opposed the blanket relocation order. “Just as humans have different temperaments, so do dogs. Only ferocious dogs should be relocated to centres — not all of them,” she said.
Jasmeet has set an example by adopting 22 dogs in Delhi’s DLF Moti Nagar, with a small plot of land secured jointly by residents, the RWA, MCD, and police. A security guard, regular vet visits, and morning-evening walks are part of their care — costs split between residents, donors, and Jasmeet herself.
Her solution? “Sterilisation is essential, and RWAs, residents, and feeders must work together. Every locality has unused land where strays can be sheltered locally.”
For Delhi’s dog lovers, the fight is not just about pets — it’s about protecting the city’s voiceless residents from being uprooted.
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