Honoured Guardians of the Past, Dishonored Today

“It is said that the people of Rárh at that time were not prepared to welcome the Aryans, and that instead of greeting them, the inhabitants set their pet lions and wolves upon the invaders. So the question remains: why did the Aryans call the land Varjyabhúmi — because of Rárh’s uncongenial environment, or out of fear of the wolves?”

​These words of our Gurudeva tell the story of how wolves — the ancestors of today’s Alsatian dogs — once defended East India from Aryan invasions. In those times, these animals were revered and honored for safeguarding the homeland. Today, however, the Aryans of India and abroad dominate much of the world, and everywhere they guard their property with humans and dogs. While humans enjoy rights, salaries, and proper care, the rights and dignity of dogs have declined dramatically over the centuries.

​In the past, dogs were trained carefully and entrusted to knowledgeable owners. Today, they are often bought and sold through social media platforms like WhatsApp. Many are placed in the care of guards who have little empathy for them. Guard dogs are frequently chained or confined to small, poorly ventilated spaces, damaging their mental and physical well-being. They often suffer from inadequate food, water, shelter, and veterinary care.

​A common misconception is that guard dogs must be “hardened” and deprived of affection to be effective. In reality, this leads to behavioral issues, aggression, and an inability to distinguish between threats and friendly visitors — making the dogs both dangerous and more likely to be mistreated or abandoned. Proper socialization and training are often ignored, perpetuating a cycle of fear and violence.

​Intentional physical abuse, such as beatings, is common. With weak enforcement of animal cruelty laws, perpetrators often face minimal consequences. Working dogs are frequently overworked and denied rest, leading to exhaustion and injuries. Many come from illegal breeders who prioritize profit over welfare, dumping dogs when they are injured, develop behavioral problems, or are no longer “useful.”

​While some guard dogs live in comparatively better conditions than stray dogs, they still endure confinement, abuse, and neglect. Often, the employees responsible for their care are themselves exploited and lack the capacity or willingness to provide proper attention, resorting instead to beatings. Sadly, such mistreatment occurs at supposedly “secure” sites across the country. Regulating and preventing this abuse seems impossible because dogs are scattered across countless locations.

​What is urgently needed is mass awareness — on social media, in mainstream media, and in public consciousness — to awaken people to the rights of guard dogs and make their owners realize their responsibilities.

​Yet, the most tragic victims are dogs used for fighting. Across Western and Northern India, dogfighting persists. Breeds commonly exploited include Pit Bull Terriers, American Staffordshire Terriers, Rottweilers, Mastiffs, Pakistani Bully Kuttas, and their crossbreeds. These dogs often endure the worst abuse and are the most frequently abandoned.

​Training often begins in puppyhood, using community dogs, small animals, or wildlife as “bait.” Many endure painful mutilations such as ear-cropping or tail-docking to prevent opponents from gaining an advantage during fights. The dogfighting world is tied to heavy betting, drugs, illegal weapons, and gang culture, and children are frequently exposed to this violence, raising both animal welfare and human safety concerns.

​Many people mistakenly believe that fighting dogs should be killed. But even abused dogs can transform with love and care. There are countless stories of once-aggressive dogs learning to trust humans again. Just as humans can change — as illustrated in tales of Angulimala and Valmiki — so can dogs, as Jack London famously portrayed in White Fang. No abused dog deserves death any more than a human being deserves execution for wrongdoing.

​Some may argue this is unrealistic — that there are too many guard dogs and fighting dogs to prevent abuse. Yet, consider history: 200 years ago, millions of humans lived as slaves, abused by their masters. People once said that no one could ensure humane treatment for all slaves. Today, slavery has largely disappeared. Human trafficking and bonded labor still exist, but the horrors of the past are no longer the norm.

​We must fight to end the abuse of both humans and dogs. This is the modern battle of Dharma. Dogs are naturally dharmic, readily sacrificing themselves to protect loved ones and even strangers. In the Mahabharata, Yudhishthira’s dog was allowed into heaven because the dog represented Dharma itself. Those who honor and protect these animals are the true saints and sadhus.

As Gurudeva says:

"For every living being, one’s personal life is very dear, very costly. Each living being loves its own life. A person who, knowing this, loves others as he loves himself is called a sádhu. One should not be carnivorous, like cats, dogs, or tigers. One must not eat meat but must love all living beings as one loves oneself. Such a person is called a sádhu."