Why not let the dogs out? Celebrities react to Supreme Court’s order on sheltering stray dogs

New Delhi: The Supreme Court’s decision to remove all stray dogs from the streets of Delhi-NCR has ignited a storm of outrage in Bollywood. The directive was aimed at curbing rising cases of dog bites and rabies.

However, it was met with fierce criticism from actors, filmmakers, and writers, who have taken to social media to call the move "inhumane” and "misguided.”

Actor John Abraham led the charge by penning a heartfelt letter to Chief Justice B.R. Gavai, urging a reconsideration of the verdict. "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,” he wrote, calling the ruling "inhumane.”

Bollywood diva of the 90s, Raveena Tandon, shifted the focus to systemic failures. She asserted that unchecked population growth among street dogs was the result of ineffective vaccination and sterilisation drives by civic authorities. "It is honestly not these poor dogs to be blamed,” she told HT, pointing squarely at the shortcomings of local bodies.

Instagram too lit up when Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan reposted a widely shared note condemning the order. "They call it a menace. We call it a heartbeat,” it read, painting a vivid picture of the role street dogs play in urban life—from guarding tea stalls to wagging their tails at schoolchildren. The note argued for large-scale sterilisation, vaccination, and adoption over "erasure” through mass caging.

Lyricist and satirist Varun Grover didn’t mince words on X (formerly Twitter). "Stray dog problem is real. And it’s a problem created by humans who hate dogs, not by those who love dogs,” he posted, accusing some housing societies of blocking sterilisation efforts. He warned that relocating dogs to non-existent shelters would only lead to "forced starvation or trauma.”

Vir Das, known for adopting indies himself, issued a rallying cry to residents of Delhi to open their homes. "They are extremely healthy, low maintenance, and will provide you with more love… than you could ever imagine,” he said, also urging generous support for animal welfare NGOs while legal appeals are underway.

Television favourite Rupali Ganguly framed her objection in cultural terms, reminding followers of traditions where dogs are revered and fed for blessings. "In our traditions, dogs guard Bhairav Baba’s temple and are fed on Amavasya for blessings. They’ve grown up on our streets, guarding shops, waiting outside our doors, barking away thieves,” she wrote on X.

The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices J.B. Pardiwala and R. Mahadevan, has defended its directive as necessary amid an "extremely grim” public health situation. But as Bollywood’s voices grow louder, the battle between public safety and compassion for the city’s four-legged residents is far from over.