New Delhi, 12 Aug

Actor John Abraham has written to Chief Justice BR Gavai urging a review of the Supreme Court’s recent directive to relocate all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets to shelters. The order, issued Monday, mandates authorities to house strays in shelters “at the earliest” due to increasing dog bite cases, particularly among children.

Abraham, PETA India’s honorary director, called the move impractical and inhumane, arguing it contradicts the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and earlier apex court rulings supporting sterilisation, vaccination, and return of community dogs.

“These are not 'strays' but community dogs, loved and respected by many, and very much Delhiites in their own right,” he wrote, citing Jaipur and Lucknow as examples where the ABC programme has worked effectively.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the order, calling it “horrendously inhumane” and said dogs are “gentle creatures who don’t deserve such cruelty.”

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi stated that the directive represents a step backwards from decades of humane, science-backed policy.

The court has asked the authorities of Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad to begin by sheltering 5,000 dogs within 6–8 weeks.

Bollywood figures, including Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Chinmayi Sripaada, Varun Grover, and Vir Das, joined in condemnation. Kapoor and Dhawan shared a message on Instagram: “They call it a menace. We call it a heartbeat... No sunlight. No freedom. No familiar faces they greet every morning.”