Supreme Court’s order on stray dogs ignites a wave of emotional reactions

New Delhi: The Supreme Court’s directive to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR and place them in shelters has ignited a wave of emotional reactions from celebrities, political leaders, and animal rights activists.

On Monday, a bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan termed the stray dog menace in Delhi “extremely grim,” citing rising cases of dog bites and rabies, particularly among children. The court directed all the strays to be removed and put in shelters by the Delhi government and civic bodies of Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad. Authorities were told to create shelters for around 5,000 canines within six to eight weeks.

For some, the decision brings long-awaited relief. Krishna Devi, whose six-year-old niece Chhavi Sharma died in July after a stray dog attack, said: “We don’t want even our enemies to go through what we underwent. With the Supreme Court’s decision, we believe that our child’s death has not gone in vain.” Calling the verdict a “sigh of relief,” she added: “I hope there are no more Chhavis, who are hurt elsewhere.”

But the ruling has triggered strong opposition from many public figures who see it as cruel and counterproductive. Actors Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan shared a statement reading: “They call it a menace. We call it a heartbeat… caging an entire community of animals is not a solution, it’s an erasure.” Actor John Abraham, in a letter to Chief Justice B R Gavai, argued the directive conflicts with the Animal Birth Control Rules, 2023, and past SC rulings that uphold sterilisation programmes.

Several celebrities urged for adoption and community care. Comedian Vir Das appealed to Delhi residents to “adopt an indie off the streets” and support NGOs. Actor Varun Grover called for humane solutions, blaming “humans who hate dogs” and blocked sterilisation efforts in the past.

Political leaders have also voiced concerns. Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called the plan “horrendously inhumane,” warning that enough shelters do not exist and urging for a “better way to manage the situation.” Rahul Gandhi said the move is “a step back from decades of humane, science-backed policy” and that “blanket removals are cruel, shortsighted, and strip us of compassion.”

Former Union minister and animal rights advocate Maneka Gandhi criticised the directive as “impractical,” “financially unviable,” and “potentially harmful” to the ecological balance.

SC orders disposal of leftover food inside its premises to prevent dog bites

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a circular mandating complete disposal of leftover food inside its court complex to prevent animal bites. The communication underscored a “significant” increase in the instances of stray dogs roaming in the apex court corridors and inside the lift in the Supreme Court premises.