Street Dogs

They are everywhere. They sleep on motorbike seats, scrounge in trash piles, and wander the streets. Some are injured, most are scruffy.

They stole my heart.

I’m a dog person. My two dogs, “the girls,” are with me constantly when I’m home, snuggled up on a favorite blanket, their toys scattered around the room. I tuck them into covers in their dog beds at night. They are deeply, ridiculously loved and spoiled.

The street dogs in India live an entirely different experience.

Some of the dogs were skittish around us, but most sought connection. They made eye contact and approached, asking for pets. Most were skinny. Some had scars or bald patches. But they had those shiny, appealing eyes and the goofy behaviors that made them so lovable. I saw a family of dogs: a male, a female, and one skinny puppy. The male was being extraordinarily vigilant and protective of the female and pup. It was touching.

I saw one dog sleeping on his back on a step. Completely exposed and silly. Another was sleeping in the street with his teeth exposed like he was grinning. There were goofy expressions, lolling tongues, and wagging tails all over the place.

The dogs sleep on empty bags, under tarps or stairs, or in abandoned buildings. When they sleep in the street, the motorbikes and tuk-tuks honk at them or swerve around. Some people put out bread, rice, or a bowl of food, and others put rocks on their motorbike seats so the dogs wouldn’t sleep on them.

I was walking in Jaipur, near the city center, and a female dog holding up one broken leg was getting love and scritches from a fellow photographer. I joined in, rubbing her ears and head. She loved the attention and sweet talk, but we eventually had to move on. I walked into the crowd about 20 meters and looked back. She was scanning the crowd, and when she caught my eye, she limped to me as fast as she could for more pets. I felt physically ill leaving her behind.

One of my fellow photographers was a veterinarian, and he assured me she wasn’t in pain. He said it was incredibly difficult to bring a dog back from India. When I returned to my room, I looked it up, and he was right. By the end of my time in India, there were at least ten dogs I wanted to scoop up and bring home. That wasn’t in the cards.

The street dog issue in India is complex. The Humane Society has an article that explains more and shares some of the work being done to make a difference. Dated Sept. 8, 2023, it’s called “Breaking Barriers for India’s Street Dogs” by James Hettinger.

Helpanimalsindia.org has more information on the challenges and their efforts to help the street dogs.

I often think dogs are better than most people. More pure of heart, more honest, more loyal, more generous. They bring love, companionship, and laughter and ask very little in return. The street dogs of India have been dealt a rough hand, but those qualities remain. I wish we could swoop in and save them all, make them safe and fed, surround them with toys, and tuck them into covers at night. A piece of my heart will remain with those street dogs always.