Hundreds of people participate in the ‘Do or Die’ protest organised by PAL Welfare Foundation at New Swami Samarth Nagar, Andheri West in Mumbai, on Sunday. PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
Simultaneously demonstrations took place in over 50 cities across the country, including in Delhi, Chennai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Trivandrum
On November 7, 2025, the Supreme Court ordered to remove all stray dogs from railway stations, schools, hospitals, bus stops and other public areas, and relocate them to a "designated shelter" after due sterilisation and vaccination in accordance with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules
The protesters, in a statement, asserted that public-health experts, veterinarians and scientists have expressed concern over the unscientific approach to mass removal and confinement of stray dogs
These actions will weaken rabies-control efforts, destabilise urban ecosystems, and disproportionately affect low-income and underserved communities, they said
The mobilisation follows weeks of misinformation and alarmist media reporting that influenced public narrative and policy response before verified facts were examined, the statement read
"A media report that led to the current suo motu proceedings incorrectly attributed a child's tragic death to rabies, a claim later contradicted by official records. Despite the correction, the initial misinformation became the emotional and political foundation for sweeping directions affecting millions of animals and people," it read
According to experts, Animal Birth Control with Anti-Rabies Vaccination (ABC-ARV/CNVR) has never been implemented at the scale required for epidemiological impact in most states
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