However, most policemen pleaded ignorance. Sanjeev Singhal, additional commissioner of police (administration), said the police have no trained manpower to implement such a law. “We don’t have proper infrastructure like kennel. The kennels we have are for trained dogs.”

“The police does not have enough manpower and lockup to handle criminals. When would we go after dogs?,” said another police official. Advocate Jayashima, campaign manager, PETA, said the provision under the Bombay Police Act is more for a factor of nuisance. “It implies that people can seek help from police in case they come across aggressive or nuisance-causing dogs. In such cases, the police can find a quick remedy.”

According to police inspector Manohar Chikale, calls to police stations to complain about stray dogs are rare. “The civic body sees to the complaints,” he said.