The Supreme Court on Friday directed that stray dogs cannot be fed on streets and public places, ruling that feeding should only be allowed in designated zones to be set up by the municipal bodies. The apex court also warned that violators of the directive would face legal action. While the decision has been welcomed as a step towards public safety, experts and citizens say that the judiciary, government and civic authorities continue to overlook the root cause of the stray dog menace – illegal roadside meat and fish shops. By consuming rotten leftovers of these shops, dogs turn furious, aggressive and increasingly prone to biting, making them a direct threat to public safety. Across Jabalpur, such shops have mushroomed unchecked, openly flouting norms and spreading litter.

 

Their rotten leftovers are consumed by street dogs, leaving the stray canines sick, furious and often violent. Veterinary experts say that these unhygienic scraps not only make dogs ill but also fuel aggression, leading to attacks on pedestrians and motorists. “Most dogs do not naturally bite humans unless provoked or starving. But when they fight over decaying meat waste, they become wild and aggressive,” an animal health expert explained. The impact is visible on city streets. Incidents of dog bites are reported almost daily from various wards. Residents say walking after dusk has become unsafe, as packs of street dogs chase people, bark aggressively and often inflict serious wounds. Parents complain that children and senior citizens are especially vulnerable.

 

Despite repeated complaints, Jabalpur Municipal Corporation (JMC) has failed to act against illegal shops operating in all 79 wards. Citizens alleged that instead of addressing the unhygienic trade practices that directly trigger the canine-human conflict, the civic body prefer symbolic measures that do little to resolve the crisis. They said that the court may ban street feeding, but unless these shops are shut down, the menace will continue to grow. The problem is not confined to public safety alone. Stray dogs themselves are caught in a vicious cycle of disease, malnutrition and violence. In their struggle for rotten meat, they attack each other, spread infections and turn into a threat both to themselves and to the community.

 

With Jabalpur’s stray dog population rising sharply, Jabalpurians now demand that the Municipal Corporation move beyond half-measures. What is needed is a two-sided approach, strict action against illegal meat and fish shops and a sustained sterilisation and vaccination drive. Without tackling the root cause, experts warn, both people and animals will remain victims of a crisis festering in plain sight.