Context

Urban India is witnessing growing conflict over the presence of street dogs, manifested through incidents of dog bites, public fear, and demands for their removal. At the same time, constitutional values, statutory animal welfare laws, and scientific evidence advocate humane and sustainable solutions. The issue places public authorities at the intersection of public safety, animal welfare, legality, and ethical governance

Key Stakeholders

1. Urban residents, particularly children, elderly and vulnerable groups
2. Street dogs, as sentient living beings
3. Municipal corporations and urban local bodies
4. Animal Welfare Board of India and animal welfare organisations
5. Public health authorities
6. Judiciary and law enforcement agencies

Core Ethical Issues

• Balancing public safety with compassion for living creatures
• Adherence to rule of law versus populist or fear-driven actions
• Evidence-based policymaking versus emotional responses
• Administrative responsibility versus abdication of duty

Ethical Analysis

Utilitarian Perspective

• From a utilitarian viewpoint, ethical action is that which maximises overall welfare. Evidence shows that indiscriminate removal, confinement, or killing of street dogs leads to suffering without improving long-term public safety. 
• Scientific approaches such as sterilisation and vaccination reduce aggression, control population growth, and lower rabies incidence, thereby maximising overall social welfare for both humans and animals.

Deontological (Duty-Based) Ethics

• Deontological ethics emphasises adherence to moral duties and legal obligations. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and the Animal Birth Control Rules mandate humane treatment of animals. 
• Treating street dogs merely as nuisances to be eliminated violates the moral duty to respect life and the legal duty imposed on public authorities.

Virtue Ethics

• Virtue ethics stresses qualities such as compassion, prudence, justice, and responsibility. A fear-driven or punitive response reflects moral weakness, whereas a balanced, humane, and reasoned policy reflects ethical leadership and civic virtue. 
• Ethical governance requires cultivating compassion alongside rational decision-making.

Constitutional Ethics

• The Constitution imposes duties on citizens and the State to show compassion towards living creatures (Article 51A(g)) and to promote scientific temper (Article 51A(h)). 
• Public safety measures must therefore be humane, lawful, and evidence-based, consistent with constitutional morality.

Legal and Policy Framework

• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960
• Animal Birth Control Rules (2001, revised 2023)
• World Health Organization guidelines on rabies control
• Judicial pronouncements emphasising humane and scientific street dog management

Assessment of Policy Options

Option 1: Mass Removal or Confinement

This approach is legally impermissible, ethically unjustified, and scientifically ineffective. It creates ecological vacuum effects and increases long-term risks.

Option 2: Administrative Inaction

Failure to act endangers public safety and reflects abdication of constitutional and ethical responsibility.

Option 3: Scientific and Humane Management (Preferred Option)

The Capture–Sterilise–Vaccinate–Release approach balances public safety with compassion, is legally mandated, evidence-based, and globally recognised as the most effective long-term solution.

Recommended Ethical Course of Action

Public authorities should implement a comprehensive, humane, and scientific street dog management programme centred on sterilisation, vaccination, and community engagement. This approach aligns with constitutional values, ethical principles, and public health objectives.

Way Forward

Administrative Measures

• Strengthen municipal capacity for Animal Birth Control programmes
• Allocate dedicated budgets and ensure accountability
• Establish clear protocols for managing dog-bite incidents

Public Health Measures

• Universal anti-rabies vaccination
• Strengthening post-exposure treatment facilities

Community Engagement

• Public awareness campaigns to counter misinformation
• Regulation of feeding practices through local guidelines
• Partnerships with animal welfare organisations

Ethical Accountability

• Penalising pet abandonment
• Transparent monitoring of implementation outcomes

Conclusion

The street dog issue tests the ethical maturity of public governance. Responses driven by fear and cruelty undermine constitutional morality, whereas policies guided by compassion, scientific evidence, and legality promote social harmony. Ethical governance lies in harmonising human safety with humane treatment of animals through reasoned and lawful action.