'Tehran' John Abraham writes to Chief Justice of India, calls for review of Supreme Court directive on stray dogs

Actor John Abraham on Tuesday wrote a letter to Chief Justice B R Gavai, urging a review and modification of the recent Supreme Court directive ordering removal of street dogs from the Delhi NCR region.

The letter came a day after the Supreme Court directed the authorities to permanently relocate all strays from streets to shelters “at the earliest”.

The 52-year-old, who was named the first honorary director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, said dogs are not strays but rather part of the community and loved by many.

“I hope you will agree that 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,” the Tehran star wrote.

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“With an estimated 10 lakh community dogs, Delhi’s canine population are its true

residents,” he wrote. “It is neither practical nor humane to shelter or relocate them

all.”

The apex court on Monday ordered the Delhi government and civic bodies to start picking up strays from the localities and keep them in shelters, warning of strict action against anyone obstructing it. Many celebrities expressed their disappointment with the order on social media.

Varun Dhawan reshared a note on their respective Instagram. menace. We call it a heartbeat. Today, the Supreme Court says - take away every stray dog of the streets of Delhi-NCR and lock them away. No sunlight. No freedom. No familiar faces they greet every morning," the note read.

“Yes, there are problems - bites, safety concerns - but caging an entire community of animals is not solution but an erasure. The real fix? Large-scale sterilization programs, regular vaccination, unity feeding zones, and adoption campaigns. Not punishment. Not imprisonment.”

With added inputs from agencies