Despite a Supreme Court directive ordering that stray dogs be removed from the premises of schools, hospitals, and public transport hubs, the LM Tulip English School, located in Lokmanya Tilak Nagar, Sakinaka, has issued a letter stating that it will not comply.
In the letter, dated November 8, the school mentioned that it houses two community dogs, Yeva and Pandu, who have been living on the school premises for the past 14 years. The letter further states that the dogs are friendly with teachers, students, and staff, and have been an integral part of the school community.
Saloni Kudalkar, principal of LM Tulip English School
The canines were adopted nearly 15 years ago by the school’s principal and trustee, Saloni Sudhir Kudalkar, who is also the wife of Senior Inspector Sudhir Kudalkar of Marol police station. The couple are known animal lovers.
The missive
The school’s letter reads, “We will not remove the dogs from our school premises. The dogs residing on the campus receive care from students, faculty, and staff who have voluntarily taken on this responsibility. This community-led approach has created a harmonious coexistence that reflects our institutional values. Displacement harms both animals and people.
The letter issued by the school
Our caregivers have invested time and emotion in these relationships. Moreover, removal simply shifts the problem — new dogs will arrive, but without the established care network the current population enjoys. We support our community’s compassionate efforts and are all willingly ready to keep our dogs within our school premises.”
Principal speaks
Saloni Kudalkar, the principal of LM Tulip English School, said, “I am an animal lover and have been taking care of these two dogs for the past 15 years. We don’t have nighttime security guards, but we’ve never had a robbery or housebreaking incident — because these dogs guard the school. They bark and alert us if anyone tries to enter. The staff and children named them Pandu and Yeva. They are very friendly and have never bitten anyone.”
She further added, “We are against the Supreme Court’s directive. We will not remove our dogs — they are part of our school family. Every month, I spend nearly Rs 5000 from my salary to take care of them. If the government or BMC forces us to remove them, we will oppose it, but we will not, under any circumstances, let the dogs go.”
Yeva and Pandu are surrounded by staff and students of LM Tulip English School at Lokmanya Tilak Nagar in Sakinaka, Andheri East. Pics/By Special Arrangement
Mona Kaur, a clerk at the school for the past 16 years, said, “These dogs have been with us for many years. They are loyal and protective. We don’t want them to go anywhere — they belong here.” The school currently has around 950 students across its primary, secondary, and junior college sections.
Emotional attachment
Caretakers Naina Kanaskar and Sadhna More said, “We want the dogs to stay inside the school. We have an emotional attachment to them. We play with them during free time — they’ve never harmed anyone.” School attendants Ramdas Jadhav, Nitin Ingle, and Shantanu Bagul added, “We are very attached to these dogs and feed them every day. We request the Supreme Court, BMC [Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation], and the government to reconsider the order.”
‘Awareness needed’
Animal lover Roshan Pathak said, “Every institution or school should educate its students about animals, animal cruelty, and how to be kind to animals. These youngsters are our nation’s future, and they should understand that even animals suffer when people abuse them. Every school and institution should have an animal awareness programme for students. We have conducted numerous awareness campaigns in schools and universities, and we honour institutions that demonstrate compassion for animals and impart animal knowledge. Animals in our communities will never hurt people if we take good care of them; we only need to reassure them that we are not harming them.”
