Mumbai Housing Societies Misusing SC Order to Evict Strays, Animal Welfare Advocates Warn

The killing of Mikey, an eight-year-old community dog in Madh's Raheja Exotica township, has triggered nationwide outrage and exposed a troubling pattern across Mumbai. Animal welfare advocates argue that the death reflects a broader crisis: widespread misinterpretation of Supreme Court directives on stray dog management is fueling unlawful evictions and harassment across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Activists state that housing societies and municipal officers are exploiting the court's guidelines on regulating public feeding and managing strays in institutional areas. A Supreme Court mention of euthanasia for terminally ill and aggressive dogs has been widely misinterpreted as license to kill stray animals. At Lodha Amara in Thane, management allegedly deployed a private squad to aggressively oust street dogs, leading to territorial animals fleeing into high-traffic roads where at least two dogs, Coco and Jackie, were struck and killed by vehicles.

Under the Animal Birth Control Rules 2023, stray dogs cannot be permanently removed or relocated. Activists argue the current enforcement represents a dangerous departure from established animal welfare protections.