"When Paris Killed Dogs": Maneka Gandhi's History Lesson After Court Order

The Supreme Court's directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets and house them in shelters has led to a heated debate over the feasibility and practicality of the idea. The top court on Monday ordered the immediate removal of all stray dogs from public spaces in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad.

Following the decision, former Union minister and animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi criticised the order and called it "impractical", "financially unviable" and "potentially harmful" to the region's ecological balance.

Ms Gandhi warned of unintended consequences, adding that removing strays could create new problems. "Within 48 hours, three lakh dogs will come from Ghaziabad, Faridabad, because there's food here in Delhi. And once you remove the dogs, monkeys will come on the ground... I've seen this happen at my own house."

Referring to 1880s Paris, the BJP leader said, "When they removed dogs and cats, the city was overrun with rats," calling dogs "rodent control animals".

What exactly happened in the 1880s?

Dogs were seen as dangerous transmitters of rabies, fleas, and dirt in the 1800s. They roamed the streets of Paris in large numbers. The Paris administration viewed stray dogs as a threat to cleanliness, health, and safety.

A large-scale slaughter of dogs and cats was allegedly carried out in the 1880s to control diseases like rabies in the city. The move was aimed at making the French capital more modern and safe.

But the lack of animals on the streets is believed to have caused a quick surge in the number of rats in the city, spreading from sewers and alleys to people's homes.

During the Siege of Paris (1870-1871), food shortages forced Parisians to resort to eating rats, cats, dogs, and other zoo animals.

According to a research paper titled 'Stray Dogs And The Making of Modern Paris', there were efforts to control canines in the city due to concerns of rabies in 1883. But there is no mention of the killing of cats at the same time. A pharmacist named Emile Capron appealed to remove stray dogs from the streets. These dogs used to scare the horses at the time, resulting in accidents.

Historian Robert Darnton wrote about a cat massacre in Paris in his 1984 book 'The Great Cat Massacre and Other Episodes in French Cultural History', but this incident was from 1730, involving printing press workers killing cats in Paris. As per a report, 'The Great Cat Massacre in the 1730s', in History Today, a group of printing apprentices tortured and killed cats.