Daijiworld Media Network- Mumbai

Mumbai, Aug 13: Bollywood actor Bhumi Pednekar has joined a growing chorus of voices opposing the Supreme Court’s recent directive to relocate all stray dogs in Delhi-NCR to shelters — a move that has sharply divided public opinion.

While some have welcomed the order citing public safety, several celebrities, including Janhvi Kapoor, Varun Dhawan, John Abraham, and Vir Das, have called the relocation unfair and dangerous. Bhumi’s stand comes with a deeply personal account that she shared on her social media.

Posting a series of pictures with her pet Bruno, Bhumi revealed the trauma the dog had endured before coming into her life at just four months old. “He was battered and badly hurt, jaw dislocated, tail burnt, yet his spirit was that of a warrior,” she wrote, adding that the abuse was inflicted by children.

“It’s not their fault — it’s ours, for failing to instill empathy, coexistence, and kindness,” the actor said in a poignant note.

Bhumi linked Bruno’s story to the plight of thousands of indie dogs who, under the court’s order, would be forcibly removed from their territories. “For many, the streets are all they’ve ever known. Uprooting them will cause more harm than good,” she said.

Instead, Bhumi advocated for large-scale sterilization, regular vaccination, and community-led feeding and monitoring programmes as sustainable and compassionate measures.

Calling Indian street dogs “a part of our heritage”, Bhumi reminded followers of the Indian Pariah dog’s 4,500-year-old history — featuring in the Rig Veda, Mahabharata, and Upanishads as symbols of loyalty, dharma, and protection.

“Removing them en masse will not solve the root issues — it will only create more cruelty and displacement,” she cautioned, ending her message with an appeal: “May there be empathy. May there be peace. May justice prevail.”