“Have the arrangements been completed?”
The King Dog of Batamaloo, who was supervising the programme, barked at the dogs from Pulwama and Ganderbal, who had been working tirelessly for the past five days to ensure the smooth conduct of the ‘Dogs Conclave’, to be held for the first time at the newly established Canis lupus familiaris Bhavan, Srinagar.
Delegations arrived at the Bhavan along with their representatives, who had been elected in the recent district-level elections. The parking area was packed with vehicles ranging from modest cars to luxury SUVs, with the BMW X7 of Ms. Julie, Councillor of the Dog Samaj Committee, Rajbagh, parked prominently at the front.
The President of the All J&K Dogs Association, Charle, who had also been elected for the first time in the recent state elections, listened attentively to the suggestions, feedback, and complaints presented by Simba from Kulgam, Rocky from Shopian, Coco from Anantnag, Chintu from Budgam, Luna from Bandipora, Daisy from Baramulla, and Golu from Kupwara.
In his address, Charle highlighted the association’s core concerns and classified them into five key “beats”: food scarcity, otherization, reservation, jurisdiction, and medical emergencies.
As the discussion progressed, every delegate narrated the hardships faced by the dogs in their respective districts. Simba spoke of shrinking food sources and the increasing struggle to survive. Rocky complained that pedigree dogs were being treated with greater respect than stray dogs, creating an invisible social hierarchy. Coco raised concerns about unequal opportunities in leadership positions within the association, while Chintu questioned the overlapping authority of municipal bodies, animal welfare organisations, and local committees, leaving many issues unresolved. Luna drew attention to the lack of emergency veterinary facilities in remote areas, where injured and sick dogs often died before receiving treatment.
The debates grew louder, occasionally interrupted by barking, tail-wagging, and table-thumping. Several delegates accused the executive council of making promises during the elections but failing to fulfil them. Others defended the leadership, arguing that limited resources and growing human interference had made their task increasingly difficult.
After hours of deliberation, Charle proposed the adoption of the Batamaloo Declaration, a resolution calling for equal treatment of all dogs regardless of breed or locality, improved access to food and healthcare, transparent representation in the association, and a unified mechanism to resolve jurisdictional disputes.
The resolution was adopted with a thunderous chorus of barks. As the conclave concluded, the delegates posed for a group photograph, wagging their tails with cautious optimism. Yet, as they stepped outside the Bhavan, they were greeted by the same streets, the same uncertainty, and the same daily struggle for survival.
The conference had ended. Whether anything would truly change remained the question every dog silently carried back home.
