One of the primary tenets of Yoga is: ‘Ahimsa’ or Non-Violence towards other living creatures.
As I sit and write this article - August of 2025, I’m re-living the shock that all animal lovers in India experienced just a few days ago, as the Supreme Court was passing an order to round up all the stray dogs of Delhi and NCR (National Capital Region), India, and place them in shelters. With anguished protests throughout the country, there is a 'reserve' on the order.
With a little research we found, no such shelters exist and this seems like it is a cover up to just round up these dogs and keep them confined in tight spaces and let them starve and perish. There can just not be enough shelters for such large numbers. It is estimated that the stray dogs in these regions is about ten lakhs.
It is not possible for the government to house and feed this vast number of dogs.
Besides, dogs are territorial - gathering them in confined spaces will lead to fights, injuries and disease. These unsanitary conditions coupled by their deep sadness will send them into emotional turmoil and kill them. This will lead to very very bad ‘karma’ for a lot of people responsible for bringing these loving creatures to this state.
The problem is of the governments making, because since decades they should have been actively neutering and vaccinating the dogs. The funds allocated for the same has been steadily siphoned off by petty officials. Had the neutering-programme been carried out successfully and truthfully all these years and decades, the stray dog population would have slowly dwindled down to a small number.
The only humane way out now, is to step up the sterilisation and vaccination campaign to a hundred percent and good results will follow. The reality today is that citizens have been personally paying for and getting as many dogs neutered as they can.
India is the land of spirituality - it is our moral obligation to tackle this situation with compassion.
Today, these poor unfortunate dogs have to make their life on the streets for no fault of theirs. Luckily there are people with a soul who come forward and feed the strays in their area and tend to their medical needs.
Let this system prevail - it is the only workable one. If the government does their bit, this woeful situation will improve every few months.
The government also needs to pass a strict ruling on breeders and ban the breeding of all imported breeds. These breeds are not meant to live in our hot climatic conditions. Breeding takes place in unhygienic and oppressive conditions, which is heartbreaking.
Another tragic observance is how many people keep pedigree dogs as a showpiece and conversation point, and then abandon them anytime things get a little tough - like a long travel or if the dog falls sick. Having a dog should be the privilege of just a few people who actually connect with the animal heart to heart.
I have one 13 & a half year old stray dog, who I found ten years ago (he was about three then), with his neck deeply wounded and infested with maggots. I took him in, attended to his wound and he never left us since. He is loved heartily by all at home.
I adopted another abandoned dog four years ago; a mixture of a black Labrador and some other large breed. He is adorable and I feel blessed to have been able to save these two living creatures.
India’s theme for the G20 presidency was ‘vasudhaiva kutumbakam’ meaning - the entire Earth is one family. Through it’s attention to planetary rights and the concept of LiFE (Lifestyle for the environment) India has garnered global influence. The Supreme Court ruling on street dogs could undermine India’s credibility. We are awaiting a favourable decision by the SC.
Swami Vivekananda, (1863 - 1902), a most prominent Indian yogi, monk and philosopher said once and I quote “As long as a stray dog of my country remains without food, my religion will be to feed and take care of him. All else is either non-religion or false religion.”
Swami Vivekanand is spot on. My heart is aligned with his. It is heartening to see that a vast number of people are fighting for the ‘voiceless’. It is those people I salute. Those people are my tribe. They make me feel that I am not alone’
We have guidance in our ancient texts on love and loyalty towards animals. According to the Indian epic Mahabharata, Yudhishthira was stopped at the gates of heaven and told he could enter, but not his dog. Yudhishthira turned away refusing to enter without his dog. This act of loyalty and compassion was rewarded and the dog was revealed to be “Dharma’, the god of righteousness.
Yoga is ‘Union’ - unity and togetherness with all life forms, with nature. As we stay united and look out for each other with kindness, we will progress.
So, yoga is not only the practice of postures on our mat, or the practice of meditation without right action. Yoga means a heart chakra overflowing with love for all of life, full of kindness and generosity, especially for living beings who look to us for protection.
Please share this article widely and pray that all humans act with kindness and empathy for the voiceless.