Animals and Birds have been a huge part of our whole culture. Not just India but the whole world. Animals have been used as assets towards survival. Whether it be sheep’s fur, cow milk, cats and hens eradicating pests from fields, or a dog/horse as a genuine companion, almost everywhere it is agreed that all animals are to be treated with kindness and never as lower beings. And any accidents of these little or big creatures break our hearts.
Let’s talk about the issue that is going on in our campus.
The Incident happened in our own Lucknow University’s old campus. On 15th February, 2026, as understood from a statement from one of the members of the student-led campus care initiative, it was a normal day on the curve along Gate 7 of Lucknow University, until it wasn’t. As they were feeding the dogs and their puppies, a car drove in, approximately at 40 kmph, normal speed, until it took a sudden acceleration when turning.
The sudden acceleration, the little puppies, and their playful shadows against the road. What happened next may be one of a billion such instances in the whole world that day, but it will remain in our heads for a LONG time.
We cannot say if the driver didn’t see the dog or something along the lines, but the car did not stop. One of the puppies was struck, first being captured under the front tyre then the rear one. Though the driver, a Ph.D scholar, immediately stopped the car and stepped out, the damage was done.
The students saw a life leave a body. It was not just a dog, for a lot of students and professors, it was almost their friend, kid, one of their own. Students used to feed the pups, an assistant professor who regularly tended to these little beings, was visibly heartbroken.
For all those who see “strays”, we see names, personalities, habits. We see the one who runs fastest, and the one who waits a little behind. And also he one who always chooses the same feeding spot.
I am writing this piece, not to assign blame to the driver, we know he did not mean to hurt them, or else he wouldn’t have stopped the car. Accidents happen, they can’t be reversed, but it is our responsibility to, at the very least, not see the campus roads as highways. 40 kmph seems moderate in isolation, not in the context of shared campus grounds. Students, employees, professors, and animals who may not understand traffic rules, share the campus with us. And it is our responsibility to be considerate of them as well.
What makes this harder to ignore is that concerns about rash driving in the past have already been raised after similar kinds of incidents. When warnings exist, caution must follow.
One life lost may seem small in the larger rhythm of a busy university. But for those who held that puppy, fed it daily, and watched it grow, it was not small.
It was devastating.
We are hopeful that the Proctor’s Office will take appropriate measures by Monday, 16th February, to ensure stronger safeguards on campus roads. But let’s be honest, policies are just words, they can’t save a life, only your mindfulness can.
Slow down, for God’s sake. Especially near curves. Especially where a fragile, silent life waits by the roadside for their caregiver.
Let this not be just another Sunday.
Let it be the moment we choose to be more careful.
More humane.
More aware.
Because a campus that prides itself on education must also lead in compassion.
Let us work together to keep our campus safe for every being that calls it home.