Mumbai: Actors Janhvi Kapoor and Varun Dhawan reacted to the Supreme Court’s order directing that all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR be removed from the streets and moved to shelters. On their Instagram Stories, both re-shared a post describing the decision as a “death sentence for all dogs.” The post read, “They call it a menace. We call it a heartbeat. Today, the Supreme Court says take every stray dog off the streets of Delhi-NCR and lock them away. No sunlight. No freedom. No familiar faces they greet every morning. But these aren't just ‘stray dogs.’ They are the ones who wait outside your tea stall for a biscuit. They are the silent night guards for shopkeepers. They are the tails wagging when children return from school. They are the warmth in a cold, uncaring city. Yes, there are problems — bites, safety concerns — but caging an entire community of animals is not a solution; it's an erasure.”

On Monday, a bench of Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan stated that all localities should be made free of stray dogs and there should be no compromise. It also said no captured animal will be released back on the streets.

The bench ordered contempt proceedings against anyone obstructing the capture drive. Justice Pardiwala said, “If any individual or organisation comes in the way of picking stray dogs or rounding them up, we will proceed to take action against any such resistance.”

The court directed states and municipal authorities to create dog shelters with sufficient staff to sterilise and immunise the animals. It instructed NCT Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Ghaziabad, MCD, and NMDC to start picking up stray dogs from all areas, particularly vulnerable ones, and to create a dedicated force if needed.

The bench also ordered the setting up of a helpline to register dog bite complaints, with the stipulation that the offending animal be picked up within four hours. Authorities must maintain daily records of dogs captured and detained, and install CCTV monitoring to ensure compliance. It reiterated that no dog should be released back into the street or public spaces.

With inputs from ANI