Street Dogs, Sacred Cows & Suburban Pets: How India Sees Animals
On my walk to school in Mumbai, I passed three constants: the neighbourhood cow, the pack of street dogs and the uncle who fed them both. Years later in a Portland suburb, my daily walk looked different. Manicured lawns, leashed golden retrievers and signs that reminded you to pick up after your pet. Same planet, very different animal politics.
💡 QUICK INTEL
India Street Life: Free-roaming dogs, cows, goats and sometimes monkeys
West Coast Norm: Pets as family members, closely managed public space
Key Lenses: Religion, infrastructure, property and class
Safety Note: Treat street animals in India with respect and caution
Why cows and dogs roam so freely in India
In many parts of India, cows sit in a complex category. They are economically useful, religiously significant, often legally protected and practically unmanaged. You see them ambling through markets, blocking traffic and resting on medians. People feed them leftovers, seek blessings by touching them and weave them into festivals and household rituals.
Street dogs are just as present. Some belong loosely to whole neighbourhoods. People name them, feed them and even dress them in sweaters in winter. Others live rougher lives, scavenging near food stalls. Animal welfare groups work on vaccination and sterilization, but full coverage is rare.
Suburban West Coast: pets, leashes and property lines
In Portland and Seattle suburbs, animals are wrapped into ideas about property and liability. Dogs and cats are microchipped, licensed and usually kept on leashes outside the home. Parks have designated off-leash areas. Stray animals trigger community posts and calls to animal services. Cows appear only on farms or as logos on dairy cartons.
Pets are often treated as children, with strollers, birthday parties and complicated diets. That does not mean people care more than Indians do. It means care is channeled through legal structures, markets and a dense network of vets and pet services.
How diasporic eyes see both worlds
Indians who move West often revisit their feelings about animals. Street dogs they once ignored become sources of nostalgia and guilt. Suburban deer and raccoons first seem magical, then slightly annoying when they eat vegetable gardens. Some families adopt dogs in the U.S. and then face complicated choices when visiting India. Do you bring the dog, leave them with friends or skip the trip?
When West Coast kids visit India, they are surprised by cows wandering near traffic and puppies sleeping under scooters. Parents find themselves giving fast safety briefings. “We do not pet street dogs without checking with someone local. We give cows space. We absolutely respect monkeys’ talent for stealing anything shiny.”
“India taught me that animals can be neighbours. The West Coast taught me that animals can be dependents. Both are forms of care and neither is simple.”
— Priya
The Verdict: It is easy to view India’s street animals as chaos and West Coast pet culture as sentimental, but both come from deeper ideas about land, holiness, property and responsibility. Approach both with curiosity and care and you will see not just different relationships to fur and horns, but different views of what it means to share space with other species.