Fruitful Course of Empathy

Deploying more manpower to the already existing workforce will serve a dual purpose—ensuring better care and management of strays while simultaneously creating a significant source of employment. A coordinated approach, backed by law and trained manpower, including training in compassion, apart from other steps, cannot only transform the lives of millions of stray animals across the country but also open up vast opportunities for meaningful livelihood. Imagine: stray animals hardly get to bathe, often search for food, have no fixed place to sleep, and most unfortunately, often suffer accidents.

While statutes provide the framework, it is human resources that drive implementation. Managing stray animals requires a diverse range of manpower—municipal staff, veterinary doctors, para-vets, animal handlers, sanitation workers, shelter caretakers, and rescue teams. Basically, stray animals are already an important source of employment. As per reports, many areas either face severe staff shortages or lack trained personnel.

The Indian legal system offers various forms of employment. Beyond regular jobs, there are also contractual, daily-wage, casual, temporary, part-time opportunities, and trainees. Deploying manpower as per the needs of specific tasks not only supports the helpless but also creates employment suited to the diverse requirements of individuals. Fortunately, in the case of stray animals, certain tasks can even be carried out at a younger age, allowing individuals to gain training early on. This not only contributes to self-development relevant for future jobs but also nurtures a more compassionate society overall—because what one learns in youth shapes character and is carried forward through life, thus benefiting the nation and even the world in the long run.

To translate legal provisions into meaningful outcomes, strengthening manpower is essential. Apart from municipal workers already on the rolls and utilisation of money from taxes, there can also be spending from corporate funds as well as public-private partnerships, which may even increase community volunteers for coordinated action. Proudly, India is a country that has formalised Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through legislative promulgations. The CSR concept in India is governed by Section 135 of the Companies Act, 2013, Schedule VII of the Act, and the Companies (CSR Policy) Rules, 2014. Section 135, inter alia, stipulates that every company having a net worth of rupees five hundred crore or more, or turnover of rupees one thousand crore or more, or a net profit of rupees five crore or more during the immediately preceding financial year, shall constitute a Corporate Social Responsibility Committee of the Board. The CSR Committee is required to formulate and recommend to the Board a policy indicating activities to be undertaken by the company as specified in Schedule VII of the Act, recommend the amount of expenditure to be incurred, and monitor the policy from time to time. Schedule VII of the Act, inter alia, includes animal welfare, environmental sustainability, ecological balance, protection of flora and fauna, agroforestry, conservation of natural resources, and maintaining the quality of soil, air, and water, as activities that may be included by companies in their Corporate Social Responsibility Policies.

Stray animals are a domain requiring serious attention. Connecting CSR funds and resources to this most needed area in the deployment of manpower can, apart from serving the voiceless strays, also act as a source of livelihood. With ESG also gaining legal momentum, integrating animal welfare into ESG frameworks will reflect not only environmental and social responsibility but also strengthen governance by aligning business practices with compassion and sustainability.

There are several key legal provisions in India for the protection and welfare of animals. These include: the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960; the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; the Indian Penal Code, 1860, now the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, which contains provisions that punish acts of cruelty against animals; the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules, 2001; the Animal Birth Control (Dogs) Rules, 2001 (amended in 2023); and the Transport of Animals Rules, 1978, among others. The Indian Constitution also promotes animal welfare. Article 48A directs the State to protect the environment, forests, and wildlife, while Article 51A(g) makes it a fundamental duty of citizens to safeguard nature and show compassion for living creatures. The Supreme Court has further reinforced this by bringing animal rights within the ambit of the right to life.

Employment needs for strays are diverse: veterinarians, food providers, shelter staff, rescue workers, trained police or inspectors to prevent cruelty and manage rescues, community volunteers, etc. The scope for increased manpower deployment is huge. However, it is important that manpower deployed must be compassionate, improving the lives of strays with care and dignity.

Indian laws are progressive in recognising animal rights, but without adequate manpower these remain largely on paper. With one of the world’s largest stray animal populations, giving better lives to strays is not just a duty but also a significant source of employment. In fact, it also helps to resolve some human-animal conflicts. Basically, nature has connected all of us, and in many ways, we are mutually dependent. Deploying more manpower is essential for strays, provides livelihoods, and importantly, ethical treatment of animals strengthens India’s appeal to foreign investors. Hopefully, with cohesive efforts, the word “stray” will be replaced globally, in words and in actions, by “community” or “family.”

The writer is a practising Advocate in the Supreme Court and High Court of Delhi. Views expressed are personal