A growing number of Bollywood stars, including Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, Chinmayi Sripaada, Varun Grover, and Vir Das, have voiced strong opposition to the Supreme Court’s recent ruling mandating the permanent relocation of all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters. Many described the move as nothing short of a “death sentence” for the animals.

On Instagram, Kapoor and Dhawan reshared a heartfelt statement criticising the order. While acknowledging existing concerns about stray dogs, the post argued that “caging an entire community of animals” was not a humane solution. It painted an emotional picture of these dogs as trusted companions—whether waiting outside tea stalls for treats, acting as informal night guards, or joyfully greeting children. The note urged alternatives such as mass sterilisation drives, regular vaccinations, community feeding zones, and adoption initiatives instead of removing the dogs from their familiar environments.

Singer Chinmayi Sripaada echoed similar sentiments on X, warning that the order would effectively lead to the mass death of dogs, particularly given India’s history of abandoned pets from unethical breeding practices. Filmmaker Siddharth Anand also criticised the plan, questioning who would ensure the animals’ welfare in shelters and calling the move “a death warrant.” Actor Adivi Sesh stressed that the ruling disregards both the legal and moral duty to treat animals with compassion.

The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan, ordered that stray dogs in Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, and Ghaziabad be removed without exception and banned from returning to the streets. It warned that contempt proceedings would follow against anyone obstructing the process and directed civic bodies to set up shelters equipped for sterilisation and vaccination.