The recent Supreme Court verdict on stray dogs and the ongoing crackdown on pigeon feeding in Mumbai raise a deep, unsettling question: what kind of society are we becoming?

First, we took over the habitats of animals and birds, replacing open skies and green fields with concrete and steel in the name of “progress.” Tree cover that once offered shelter, shade, and life to countless species has been steadily erased in the name of development. Then, we restricted their presence in our “planned” spaces. And now, in a chilling turn, we speak of removing them altogether whether it is the stray dog from our streets or the humble pigeon from our balconies and squares. How human is this?

This is not simply about animals and birds. It is about the object-and-effect theory of law. The object of regulating stray dogs or pigeon feeding may be public health or safety, but the effect if driven by intolerance rather than humane science can be the silent removal of entire species from our shared spaces. That is not public welfare; it is ecological amputation.

Humans are not the strongest, fastest, or most enduring species on Earth what has set us apart for millennia is........

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