As a city that is seeing a burgeoning number of pet parents, there is a severe lack of civic sense when it comes to handling pets in society.
Once upon a time, our city embraced life — in all its greenery, flora and fauna. Monkeys, foxes, squirrels, cats, dogs, peacocks were not a rare sight. Now, there’s a complaint if a bird sings at dawn, or a dog barks once at night. People want grass lawns without earthworms that make the soil healthier for the plants and the grasses. The consequences ripple far beyond awkward stares and discomfort.
“Additionally, most pet parents are struggling with people who treat domestic animals as disposable. Pet abandonments have surged — especially post-pandemic. Shelters are overwhelmed with dogs discarded when housing societies tighten pet rules or landlords change their minds or better yet, tech companies relocate their employees. More disturbingly, cases of abuse and bestiality against domestic and strays animals are on the rise. It is worse when onlookers turn a blind eye to these happenings.
As a pet parent, I carry more than leashes and waste bags — I carry the burden of proving, daily, to every person walking the streets with me, that my dogs belong here too. That they’re not beasts or a nuisance. That our shared city — of parks, pavements, gardens — is meant to be shared with all species inhabiting it, not just the one. And that’s the real fear — that in our zeal for manufactured and manicured city, we’re slowly pushing out not just dogs, but everything that breathes, sheds, sings, barks, or doesn’t obey the blueprint,” says Vasantha Krishnamurthy, Strategy and Growth Leader, Living at Shriram Spandana Apartments (Behind EGL Tech Park).
Read the full story that first appeared in Our Bangalore dated April 25-May 2, 2025 here:
Leave a Reply