John and Vir Das Back SC's Call on Strays
The court clarifies that dogs must be sterilised, vaccinated, and returned to their original areas
Actor John Abraham, long associated with animal rights advocacy, issued a statement through PETA India thanking the apex court. “On behalf of dogs, I am thankful to the Supreme Court for ruling, in essence, that there must be peaceful coexistence and that dogs must not be removed from roads,” he said.
The actor also urged municipalities to recognise the role of feeders and to set up dedicated feeding stations across neighbourhoods to make sterilisation and vaccination programmes more effective.
Letter to the CJI
Before the order was revised, Abraham had written to Chief Justice Bhushan Gavai, seeking a review of the earlier directive that suggested removing strays from public areas and relocating them to shelters or remote spaces.
Vir Das Welcomes the Shift
Comedian-actor Vir Das also hailed the SC’s clarification. On X, he wrote: “Thank you to the Supreme Court of India for supporting sterilisation, vaccination and safe return of community dogs to their neighbourhood… It is nice to know our voiceless dogs can rely on your empathy and balance.”
What the Supreme Court Said
On Friday, the Supreme Court modified its earlier direction, ruling that stray dogs must be sterilised and vaccinated before being released back to the same locality. Only aggressive dogs or those with rabies are to be held back after immunisation.
Reacting on Instagram, Raveen Tandon said that “better sense has prevailed” and stressed that programmes and funds allocated for sterilisation and vaccination must be executed effectively.
“Dogesh bhai! Tum aage badho! Hum tumhare saath hain! Better sense has prevailed. Thank you #cji #supremecourt. Now make sure the programmes and funds allocated for vaccinations and sterilisation are implemented correctly,” she posted.
