Several Bollywood stars including Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, and John Abraham joined the chorus against the Supreme Court’s directive to clear all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets, advocating for alternative measures that align with animal welfare.
Abraham on Tuesday wrote a letter to Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, urging a review and modification of the judgment so that “it honours the constitutional values of compassion and coexistence”.
“I hope you will agree that these are not ‘strays’ but community dogs – respected and loved by many, and very much Delhiites in their own right, having lived in the region as neighbours to humans for generations,” Abraham wrote in the letter, as per a report by .
Acknowledging the Supreme Court’s concern over death by rabies, the 52-year-old actor highlighted other ways in which such incidents can be averted.
“During sterilisation, dogs are vaccinated against rabies, and sterilisation results in calmer animals, fewer fights and bites, as they have no puppies to protect. Because community dogs are territorial, they also deter unsterilised, unvaccinated dogs from entering their areas,” he wrote.
“Delhi has an estimated 10 lakh dogs. It is neither practical nor humane to shelter or relocate them all,” added Abraham.
Janhvi also protested against what she called “forceful imprisonment” of stray animals. She shared an Instagram post, which reads, “They call it a menace. We call it a heartbeat…Yes there are problems – big safety concerns – but caging an entire community of animals is not a solution, it’s an erasure…A society that can’t protect its voiceless is a society losing its soul.” The 28-year-old actress wrote on Instagram, noting that several alternative solutions are available like large-scale sterilisation programs, regular vaccination drives, community feeding zones and adoption campaigns.
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Khushi Kapoor, Sanya Malhotra and Varun Dhawan shared the same post on their Instagram story. Both Khushi and Varun are dog parents.
Actress Raveena Tandon also shared several posts on social media, opposing the directive issued by the Supreme Court on Monday. “Instead of dealing with real issues and tackling corruption which is responsible for the street dog crisis, the court has decided to take the easiest route. Kill those who can’t speak for themselves and punish those who speak for them,” reads one of the posts Tandon shared on Instagram.
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Tandon’s daughter, actress Rasha Thadani, raised her voice against the Supreme Court directive, which mandates the removal of all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR roads within the next six weeks in a manner deemed fit by the authorities.
“Watching stray dogs being taken away in Delhi is beyond disheartening. They are harmless, voiceless beings who have lived their lives on these streets. Compassion is a choice – and they deserve it more than anyone,” wrote Rasha on Instagram.
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Mismatched actor Rohit Saraf, comedian Vir Das and Bengali actress Swastika Mukherjee urged Delhi residents to adopt Indies and donate generously to animal shelters. “If you are a resident of Delhi, can I persuade you to adopt an indie off the streets, more than one? They are extremely healthy, low maintenance, and will provide you with more love, affection and gratitude than you could ever imagine. Am also asking you to wholeheartedly and generously support your nearest animal welfare NGO,” reads a post they shared.
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Actors Ananya Panday, Sonakshi Sinha, Vijay Varma, and Tabu also joined the chorus.
Veteran actress Zeenat Aman appealed for a “more humane, logical and science-backed approach”. “Disheartened by the recent news about stray dog removal in Delhi. I join animal lovers from across the world in asking for a more humane, logical and science-backed approach to the issue,” she wrote on Instagram.
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On Monday, a bench of Justices J. B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan noted that there was an “extremely grim” situation due to stray dog bites resulting in rabies, particularly among children. The court directed Delhi authorities to begin removing stray dogs from all neighbourhoods, with priority given to vulnerable areas and cities. The bench added that the task must be carried out without compromise. The order also directed the state and municipal bodies to establish dedicated dog shelters equipped with adequate staff for sterilisation and immunisation.