Bollywood stars John Abraham, Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, and Adivi Sesh urge CJI to reconsider the Supreme Court’s stray dog order, calling for compassion and humane treatment of Delhi’s community dogs.
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NEW DELHI: The recent Supreme Court order directing the removal of all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR has triggered strong reactions from animal lovers, celebrities, and welfare advocates across India. The directive, issued on August 11, mandates the Delhi government and civic bodies in Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad to immediately capture stray dogs, move them to shelters, and ensure they are not returned to the streets.
While the order aimed to address public safety concerns, it has sparked widespread criticism for being “impractical” and “inhumane.” Among the most prominent voices opposing the move are Bollywood star John Abraham, Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, and actor-humanitarian Adivi Sesh, both of whom have written heartfelt appeals to the Chief Justice of India.
In a strongly-worded letter to Chief Justice of India BR Gavai, John Abraham expressed deep concern over the court’s decision, describing it as an “impractical” and “inhumane” directive.
“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.
The 52-year-old actor, known for his animal welfare advocacy, highlighted the World Health Organisation’s guidelines and the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Dog Rules, 2023, which require sterilised and vaccinated dogs to be returned to their home areas.
Abraham urged the judiciary to adopt science-based, lawful, and compassionate measures, rather than the mass displacement of Delhi’s estimated 1.9 million community dogs.
Actor Adivi Sesh also wrote an earnest appeal to both the Chief Justice of India and the Chief Minister of Delhi.
“As a citizen who believes in both the letter and spirit of the law, I am deeply concerned about the recent directive for mass confinement of street dogs in Delhi NCR. Such a measure not only contravenes our legal obligations but also goes against the compassionate values that India has always stood for,”
Sesh stated.
The star stressed that sterilised and vaccinated dogs pose no threat and are an integral part of the urban ecosystem. Instead of mass confinement, Sesh proposed practical, humane solutions:
- City-wide sterilisation and vaccination drives
- Improved waste management to eliminate uncontrolled food sources
- Empowering community caretakers
- Strict penalties for cruelty and abandonment
“Let us choose empathy over expediency, and solutions over suppression,”
Sesh concluded in his letter.
Actors Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan have voiced concern over the Supreme Court’s recent directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets and confine them to shelters. Sharing a post on Instagram that called the move a “death sentence for all dogs,” they highlighted the loss of sunlight, freedom, and familiar surroundings for these community animals.
The original post described street dogs as part of the city’s daily life, guarding shops, greeting locals, and offering warmth, and argued that caging them erases their place in society.
Supreme Court’s Order
On Monday, a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan ordered authorities in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad to capture all stray dogs, with none to be returned to the streets.
It warned of contempt action against anyone obstructing the drive, directed the creation of shelters with sterilisation and vaccination facilities, and mandated CCTV monitoring, bite complaint helplines, and record-keeping of daily captures.
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