Criminalising Compassion: The Pedigree Incident and the Jurisprudence of Urban Canine Management in India

This article examines the escalating urban canine management crisis in India, centered on the August 2025 Pedigree Incident. It analyzes the intersection of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), The Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023 and the 2024-2025 amendments to the prevention of cruelty to Animals Act. The study identifies a critical jurisprudential shift where the constitutional right to feed is increasingly curtailed by judicial directives prioritizing public safety in institutional areas. Furthermore, it explores the socio-cultural dissonance between contemporary neighborhood goonism and the historical reverence for canine loyalty exemplified by the legend of Waghya at Raigad Fort. By identifying key legal lacunae including the weaponization of the BNS good faith exception and systematic enforcement apathy the paper proposes a one Health framework for sustainable trans species coexistence. It advocates for standardized feeding zones and specialized police training to resolve escalating residential conflicts. Ultimately, the article argues for transitioning from anthropocentric dominance toward balanced, legally coherent urban ecology that respects the intrinsic value of all living beings. This research situates the pedigree Incident within broader doctrinal and policy debates, demonstrating how retaliatory FIRs against feeders exemplify the misuse of criminal law. By integrating statutory analysis, judicial precedent, and socio-legal critique, the paper contributes to the evolving discourse on animal law in India, offering actionable reforms that reconcile constitutional compassion with public safety imperatives.