Celebrating man’s best friend: On International Dog Day, a call for compassion for strays

Dubai: Whether curled up at our feet, running alongside us on a morning jog, or greeting us after a long day with wagging tails and unconditional love, dogs are more than pets. They are loyal companions, trusted protectors, and emotional anchors.

In the UAE, a country where fast-paced lifestyles and frequent relocation can make life unpredictable, dogs often become grounding forces for their owners, offering comfort, consistency, and companionship.

On International Dog Day, celebrated today, we not only honour our four-legged best friends, but also spotlight the growing crisis of stray and abandoned dogs, both in the UAE and beyond.

Gulf News interviewed Chiku Singh, an animal welfare advocate and rescuer, who balances her work as a Senior Management Technology Consultant with a deep commitment to animal rescue. A Dutch-Indian national living in the UAE since 2021, Singh has worked hands-on with dogs in three countries. Her voice represents a growing movement for compassionate, systemic change in how we treat the most vulnerable of man’s best friends.

Q&A with Chiku Singh: Rescuer, advocate, and animal rights champion

1. Have you observed cases of pet abandonment in the UAE, especially during summer or relocation periods? What urgent changes are needed to tackle this issue?

Yes, abandonment cases spike during the summer and when people relocate. Many simply leave their pets behind, tied to trees, left in the desert, or dumped on highways. I’ve rescued dogs that were taped around the mouth, left to die in unimaginable conditions. Some don’t survive. The trauma these animals experience is heartbreaking, they trust humans, and are betrayed in the worst way.

Stronger awareness campaigns, compulsory microchipping linked to Emirates ID, and tougher enforcement of abandonment laws are urgently needed. Fast-tracking abuse cases, supporting community shelters, and expanding TNR services would make a real difference. Pet ownership must be treated as a lifelong commitment, not a disposable convenience.

2. You’ve worked with animals across three countries. What differences have you observed in how stray or vulnerable dogs are treated, and what lessons can India take from those experiences?

In the UK, stray dogs are nearly nonexistent due to proactive laws, compulsory microchipping, strict breeding regulations, early sterilisation, and strong adoption support. Shelters are well-funded and abuse is prosecuted swiftly, building public trust.

In the UAE, the challenges are different. A transient population leads to high pet abandonment, especially during relocations. The desert environment is brutal, heat, thirst, and disease kill countless stray puppies and kittens. Rescuers do their best, often funding sterilisation and care themselves, but without stronger laws and penalties for abandonment, the cycle continues.

India has cultural reverence for dogs, yet the reality on the streets is starkly different. The solution lies in prevention through sterilisation, better funding, stronger enforcement, and active community involvement. Combine this with India’s cultural values, and we have the potential to set a global example.

3. On International Dog Day, how do you think this occasion can be used not just to celebrate companion animals, but to shed light on the crisis facing stray dogs in cities like Delhi?

International Dog Day is often seen as a celebration of pets, but it can also be a powerful platform to highlight the suffering of India’s stray dogs. This day is the perfect moment to show the contrast between dogs worshipped in Indian temples and history, and those suffering on the streets. As a rescuer, I see daily how these animals endure hunger, injuries, abuse, and indifference. This day reminds us that compassion shouldn’t stop at our doorstep.

It’s an opportunity to amplify the issue, organise awareness campaigns, mobilise volunteers, and push for humane policies like mass sterilisation and vaccination — not removals or culling. The movement in India is already showing how powerful collective compassion can be. The recent Supreme Court revision now allows sterilised and vaccinated strays to return to their localities, a huge win. This International Dog Day, let’s channel that momentum into long-term change.

4. Can you elaborate on the specific bureaucratic and systemic failures that are contributing to the worsening conditions for stray dogs in Delhi?

The system is failing. The Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme, which is supposed to sterilise and vaccinate dogs, is riddled with inefficiencies, poor funding, corruption, weak monitoring, and lack of political will. The funds rarely reach the animals. Thousands of dogs remain unprotected, and instead of addressing the systemic gaps, authorities often respond with mass removals, which only worsen the problem.

There are proven, humane models in other Indian cities. Chennai eliminated rabies deaths with mass vaccination. Jaipur and Vadodara reduced stray numbers with consistent sterilisation efforts. Delhi must follow these examples. Change starts with fixing the broken system and educating citizens to coexist with street dogs, not fear them.

5. What practical, humane solutions can be implemented immediately to improve the lives of stray dogs in Delhi, and what role can everyday citizens play in this effort?

Mass sterilisation and vaccination campaigns are the most immediate and humane solutions. Add to that community feeding points, shelters, and responsible adoption drives. Schools can introduce kindness-to-animals education, and public health departments should promote rabies vaccinations for both people and pets.

Citizens can make a big impact, by adopting or fostering, sponsoring sterilisation, donating to NGOs, providing water during extreme heat, or simply reporting injured animals. Even small acts like moving a bowl of water outside can be life-saving. Compassion is contagious and every bit counts.

Final thought

On this International Dog Day, let us honour dogs not only for the loyalty and joy they bring into our lives, but also by standing up for those left behind. Whether through systemic reform, grassroots action, or a simple act of kindness, we all have a role to play in building a more compassionate world for our most faithful companions.