On June 24, 2021, the Delhi High Court not only stated that it is the moral responsibility of each and every citizen to protect stray animals and that stray dogs have the right to food and citizens the right to feed them, the court has also directed the Animal Welfare Board of India to ensure that every Residents Welfare Association constitutes an Animal Welfare Committee.

In our colony, we already have an active stray dog management group constituted by the RWA with a track record of positive action since 2017 to control the population and to make sure that dogs are healthy and vaccinated (see previous post). Although peaceful coexistence is still a challenge, we have a clear and practical approach in place that guides the way forward.

This may not be the case in other neighbourhoods yet. And even if Animal Welfare Committees are established, the question HOW to approach the issues may be daunting. Stray Buddy provides resources, examples, tools and a systematic approach that could be adopted as a “plug-and-play” scenario by any RWA in Delhi and other places in India.

We encourage everyone to share their experiences with us and add to this knowledge base. Please use the online contact form to tell us the story of your colony.

You can access the pdf version of the court order here.