Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Dec 1: More than 1 lakh animal lovers from cities including Mumbai, Delhi, and Bengaluru have sent speed post letters to the Supreme Court, urging the reversal of the November 7 order mandating the relocation of stray dogs to shelters. The coordinated appeal, sent simultaneously from GPOs and post offices across India, expressed concern that healthy, vaccinated dogs are being subjected to cruel and unscientific confinement.

The letters, based on a draft prepared by animal activists, emphasized that interventionists’ perspectives have not been considered and that relocating stray dogs to crowded shelters could endanger their health. Ambika Shukla of People for Animals (PFA) said, “We are thankful to over 1 lakh citizens who ensured that these letters reached the SC, from Anantnag to Kanyakumari. We will continue to legally fight for street dogs in our democratic setup.”

Celebrities such as actor Cyrus Broacha from Mumbai also participated by sending letters to the apex court. Activists stressed that sterilized, vaccinated dogs should be allowed to live freely in their local areas, as the lack of adequate shelters could result in disease and fatalities if the animals are forcibly relocated.

On Saturday evening, over 300 animal feeders and activists from Pasujeeva – The Soulful Love Foundation held a peaceful demonstration at Versova, Mumbai, advocating for sterilization, vaccination, and humane care as the only effective methods to manage stray dog populations.

Earlier, students and faculty from IIT-Bombay’s Powai campus launched an e-drive urging authorities to allow coexistence with street dogs rather than sending them to inadequate or non-existent shelters. Manasi Dikshit, founder of Marmik Animal Welfare Foundation, added, “There are no proper animal shelters for dogs within the BMC area. Where will authorities take all our street dogs? Relocation is impractical.”