The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) has been identifying spots in Delhi where people can feed dogs following a Delhi High Court directive, based on animal rights activists' plea. Now, the resident welfare association (RWA) of a prominent colony, MS Apartments touching the India Gate, has gone to the court complaining that the Board had marked a spot within its premises (read the Hindustan Times here). “AWBI fixed the feeding point despite RWA’s objections. Their own guidelines provide that thickly-populated areas should be avoided,” the residents' lawyer told the court, according to the report.

The case is an illustration of small battles fought across Delhi and other cities involving dog lovers or animal rights activists in general and those who think this is one menace they can do without. While the former argue that dogs have as much right to share the urban space, the latter are concerned about security of residents – Delhi has seen a rise in the number of people going for vaccination against rabies, which incidentally cent percent fatal.

Granted that both sides have a point, but where do we draw the line? Are there any limits to the animal rights (or, as the other side would have it, to the “human rights”)?