Bangalore

Treating stray dogs as nuisance is ‘cruelty’, not governance: Siddaramaiah

The top court noted that there was an "extremely grim" situation due to stray dog bites resulting in rabies, particularly among children.

Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has said treating stray dogs as a nuisance to be ‘removed’ is not governance, it is “cruelty”.

His remarks came after the Supreme Court directed Delhi-NCR authorities to permanently relocate all strays from streets to shelters “at the earliest”.

The top court noted that there was an “extremely grim” situation due to stray dog bites resulting in rabies, particularly among children.

“Treating stray dogs as a nuisance to be ‘removed’ is not governance – it is cruelty. Humane societies find solutions that protect people and animals,” Siddaramaiah posted on ‘X’ on Tuesday.

“Sterilisation, vaccination, and community care work. Fear-driven measures only create more suffering, not safety,” he said.

The chief minister’s post was in reaction to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s post in which he has said that the SC directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR is a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy, and stressed that “blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted, and strip us of compassion”.

This post was last modified on August 13, 2025 9:18 am

Share
Press Trust of India

Press Trust of India (PTI) is India’s premier news agency, having a reach as vast as the Indian Railways. It employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.

Load more...