New Delhi

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," Abraham said.

The actor stated that the directive is in conflict with the Animal Birth Control (ABC) Rules, 2023, and the apex court's past judgements on the issue which have consistently "upheld a methodical sterilisation programme".

"The ABC Rules prohibit the displacement of dogs, instead mandating their sterilisation, vaccination, and return to the very areas they inhabit. Where the ABC programme is implemented earnestly, it works," he said, giving the example of cities like Jaipur and Lucknow.

He added, "Delhi can achieve the same. During sterilisation, dogs are vaccinated against rabies, and sterilisation results in calmer animals, fewer fights and bites, as they have no puppies to protect. Because community dogs are territorial, they also deter unsterilised, unvaccinated dogs from entering their areas."

According to the actor, removing street dogs from public spaces doesn't guarantee a solution to the issue.

"Delhi has an estimated 10 lakh dogs. It is neither practical nor humane to shelter or relocate them all, and removal only opens the door for unfamiliar, unsterilised, and unvaccinated dogs to move in—leading to greater competition, territorial disputes, and public health risks.

"I respectfully request a review and modification of this judgment in favour of the lawful, humane, and effective ABC approach, which safeguards public health while honouring the constitutional values of compassion and coexistence, a stand the Supreme Court has consistently upheld since 2015."

On Monday, the supreme court directed all the strays to be removed and put in shelters by the Delhi government and civic bodies of Gurugram, Noida and Ghaziabad.

A bench of Justices J B Pardiwala and R Mahadevan noted that there was an "extremely grim" situation due to stray dog bites resulting in rabies, particularly among children.

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The court has directed Delhi authorities to start with creating shelters for around 5,000 canines within six to eight weeks.