Holi Horrors: Here's The Disturbing Reality Of Holi For Stray Dogs

Last year, a stray dog was allegedly raped by a man in Patna on the occasion of Holi. CCTV footage of the man's gruesome act circulated on the internet. In 2022, a street dog was tied up by a bunch of men in Uttarakhand and a heart-wrenching video of colours being thrown at the helpless pooch soon went viral on social media, sparking outrage and shattering many hearts. Unfortunately, dogs are subjected to abuse every year during Holi celebrations.

From forced colouring to teasing to harassment, street dogs bear the brunt of our gaga festivities. Although official authorities are quick to announce that probes are underway, updates or public statements from the officials on such horrifying acts are scarce. Moreover, under India's outdated legal framework, the offenders never get enough punishment for their horrid crimes.

With Holi just around the corner, we dread dogs and other animals being abused with colours. Unfortunately, little do people think how throwing colours and abusing dogs during Holi celebrations can deeply affect them. To address the issue and raise awareness about the potential harm to dogs during Holi festivities, we spoke to Rodney Dsouza, Canine Behaviourist, Trainer, and Educator. 

He said, “Dogs cannot see the number of colors humans can. Why on earth would you want to involve them in celebrating the festival of colors? They're not humans and so cannot participate in festivals like humans. If at all, they're going to be miserable, harassed, and traumatised in the end.”

The Harsh Consequences Of Throwing Colours And Balloons On Dogs 

Clinical Effects

“Throwing colours on stray dogs can have severe clinical effects on dogs who have skin diseases, allergies, or other skin-related ailments. Their existing conditions can worsen, eventually leading to painful deaths as there would be no caregivers to administer medication and provide nutritional support. Dogs with injuries and wounds suffer similarly,” the canine behaviourist said. 

Sympathetic System Activation

Did you know throwing water balloons on dogs can lead to severe startle responses? This further leads to the activation of either the dog's Agonistic-Sympathetic, or Agonistic-ParaSympathetic system.

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“If the agonistic-sympathetic system kicks in, a dog is capable of acting hostile and offensive. The dog will choose to stand up for itself, assess the perceived threat, and deliver a ceremonious bite. It could also lead to displaced aggression where the dog redirects its rage on the person or animal closest to it and not the one who threw the water balloon on it,” the expert observed. 

“In case the agonistic-parasympathetic system kicks in, a dog will choose to duck down and run for shelter and safety. Such a fearful dog will do everything to escape from the perceived threat, and, if it feels cornered with no escape route, it can act in a very aggressive and dangerous manner that can cause severe harm to humans,” he added.

Food Contamination

Throwing off colours mindlessly on the road also leads to the contamination of food that's strewn around garbage dumps. This further puts stray dogs' health at risk since they usually scavenge food from littered places. 

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Overall, our festival celebration results in complete disruption in the harmony of stray dog groups, who usually live happily within their territories on the streets.

Penalties For Animal Cruelty Under Indian Law

Every year, Holi brings about the same disruption in the lives of the voiceless. Yet, it remains unfortunate that the legal framework of our country lacks the necessary measures to punish the perpetrators.

Siddharth Chandrashekhar, Advocate and Legal Counsel, Bombay High Court helped us delve deeper into the current laws applicable to offenders found guilty of abusing animals.

"Offences under section 428 of the IPC shall be punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to two years, or with a fine, or with both," said Chandrashekhar. Perpetrators are punished with imprisonment of either description for a term that may extend to five years, or with a fine, or with both for offenses under section 429 of the IPC.

"Offences under section 11 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA) are punishable,[in the case of a first offense, with fine which shall not be less than ten rupees but which may extend to fifty rupees and in the case of a second or subsequent offense committed within three years of the previous offense, with fine which shall not be less than twenty-five rupees but which may extend to one hundred rupees or with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with both," he added.

The harsh reality of dog abuse during Holi festivities, and the severe consequences of brutal acts on the physical and psychological well-being of animals calls for urgent attention. There is a dire need for the introduction of stronger laws for animal abuse in the country to protect the voiceless. Till that happens, we should all collectively create awareness around us, to strive towards a future where dogs are free from the horrors of cruelty.

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