Celebs term SC order on stray dogs ‘death sentence’, seek review

Several Bollywood celebrities have taken to social media to criticise the Supreme Court’s order to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR, calling it a “death sentence for all dogs”.

The apex court on Monday (August 11) directed that stray dogs be placed in shelters, citing a surge in dog attacks and a concerning rise in rabies cases.

Also Read: After order on stray dogs, SC bans leftover food in court complex

John Abraham writes to CJI

Actor John Abraham issued an urgent appeal to Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai, urging a review of the order.

In his letter, Abraham wrote, "I hope you will agree these are not ‘strays’ but community dogs — respected and loved by many, and very much Delhiites in their own right, having lived alongside humans for generations."

Highlighting his decades of work in animal protection, Abraham said the order conflicts with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and previous Supreme Court judgments that favour sterilisation over removal.

"Where the ABC programme is implemented earnestly, it works. Dogs are vaccinated against rabies during sterilisation, and the process results in calmer animals. Displacement, by contrast, fails," he noted, adding that Delhi’s estimated 10 lakh dogs cannot practically or humanely be sheltered or relocated.

Stars voice out concerns

Varun Dhawan and Janhvi Kapoor, co-stars of Bawaal, also opposed the order, sharing an Instagram note that read, "They call it a menace. We call it a heartbeat… No sunlight. No freedom. No familiar faces greet every morning."

Comedian Vir Das urged Delhi residents to adopt indie dogs and support local animal welfare NGOs. Sharing a photo of his adopted pets, he wrote, "Delhi, do the right thing, please. A request from my indies, my family."

Sanya Malhotra joined the campaign, writing on Instagram, "These aren’t just ‘stray dogs’. They are the warmth in a cold, uncaring city. Caging an entire community is not a solution, it’s an erasure." She called for sterilisation programmes, vaccination drives, and community feeding zones instead.

Also Read: Rahul slams SC order on stray dogs: 'Cruel, shortsighted’

'Death sentence for dogs'

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada described the ruling as a "death sentence for all dogs."

"People abandon Huskies, Labradors, and German Shepherds after breeding them to exhaustion in India. ‘Shelters’, indeed. Since dogs are considered the vehicle of Lord Kala Bhairava, may He intervene," she said in a post io X

Filmmaker Siddharth Anand warned, "Who will ensure they’re fed in those shelters? In shelters, they’ll starve. This is a death warrant. Someone, please start a petition. We must stop this genocide."

Actor Adivi Sesh also voiced his concern, saying the measure “betrays the compassionate principles that India is meant to uphold.”

Also Read: Why PETA, animal activists are protesting SC order to 'cage' stray dogs

SC directive

The Supreme Court issued an order that all areas in NCT Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, and Ghaziabad must be cleared of stray dogs, with no exceptions.

It instructed municipal and state authorities to establish shelters with adequate staff to facilitate sterilisation and immunisation efforts.

Under the court's directions, civic authorities have been instructed to create a 5,000-capacity shelter for stray dogs, equipped with vaccination and sterilisation facilities, within six to eight weeks.