A recent Supreme Court ruling ordering the relocation of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters within eight weeks has sparked a storm of reactions from across India, not just from animal rights activists, but also from celebrities nationwide.
From comic Vir Das to veteran actress Zeenat Aman, actors, filmmakers, and singers are calling the move “inhumane” and urging for compassion, not confinement. Many of them own rescued indie dogs themselves, making the issue deeply personal.
Actor Janhvi Kapoor summed up the sentiment in an emotional Instagram post criticising the order. She described the decision as locking away dogs from sunlight, freedom, and the familiar faces they greet every day. Varun Dhawan and singer Chinmayi Sripaada also reposted the same note, warning that caging an entire community of animals is not a solution but an erasure.
Several Bollywood stars, including Disha Patani, Sonam Bajwa, and Fatima Sana Shaikh have also shared a viral Instagram story template reading, “Today it’s the dogs. Tomorrow… who will it be?”
It’s not just Bollywood. Swastika Mukherjee from West Bengal, known for her role in Paatal Lok, posted videos showing the poor conditions dogs faced in Jodhpur after a similar order was issued. Telugu star Adivi Sesh shared an AI-generated image of dogs outside the Supreme Court, captioned, “Compassion and law hand in hand,” appealing directly to Chief Justice B. R. Gavai and Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Bhardwaj.
John Abraham, who has long supported animal welfare, wrote an open letter to the Chief Justice calling the order “illegal, impractical, and inhumane.” He pointed out that the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, recommend sterilisation and vaccination, not relocation, as the only effective, humane solution. He warned that removing Delhi’s estimated 10 lakh dogs would cause suffering and public health risks.
Isha Talwar from Mirzapur posted a photo of her rescued dog, Coconut, urging people to adopt indigenous breeds instead of chasing foreign ones. Vir Das encouraged Delhi-NCR residents to adopt street dogs and support local animal NGOs while legal appeals are underway.
Filmmaker Siddharth Anand questioned whether authorities could adequately feed and care for the large number of dogs in shelters, warning that they might die of hunger and thirst. Zeenat Aman, a proud parent to her indie dog Lily, called for a “more humane, logical and science-backed approach.”
Writer-comedian Varun Grover described the order as “forced starvation” for dogs. Actor Bhumi Pednekar posted Mahatma Gandhi’s quote: “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.”
Supporters of the SC ruling cite safety and bite incidents. Critics argue the solution lies in long-term measures: large-scale sterilisation, vaccination drives, feeding zones, and adoption campaigns. Many fear this order could trigger a wave of animal cruelty and set a dangerous precedent for how India treats its animals.
For now, the debate continues online and in courtrooms. However, one thing is clear: from Delhi to Hyderabad to Kolkata, India’s celebrities are uniting to give a voice to those who can’t speak for themselves.