In a housing society in Old Goa, a dispute arose when a community dog went missing. As there had been several complaints, one of the residents had taken the dog to his farm near Bicholim. An animal welfare officer intervened and stated that a community dog cannot be relocated without following legal procedures. As per the Supreme Court’s orders, societies cannot remove or relocate community dogs. Good for them. The resident brought back the dog within an hour.
The episode took a violent turn when a resident, who had got the dog vaccinated and sterilised at his own cost, was allegedly assaulted by three men. The above incident raises some pertinent questions. If a destitute or orphaned person (adult or child) seeks shelter in a housing society, can the person be removed under any laws, or allowed to stay in a corner on humanitarian grounds? Should we be humane only to animals, or even to humans?
