Heartbroken over SC order, Bhumi Pednekar shares story of her own indie dog: ‘They walked with us for 4500 years'

Hindustan Times

2 days ago

Actor Bhumi Pednekar doesn't agree with Supreme Court's order to move stray dogs from Delhi-NCR localities to shelters within eight weeks. The actor feels Indian Pariah dogs have been part of the Indian cultural and spiritual heritage, and one should not criminalise their existence. Bhumi Pednekar feels removing stray dogs will not solve the root issues but create more cruelty and displacement.
Bhumi urges for empathy
On Wednesday, Bhumi took to Instagram to share a heartfelt note sharing her views on the same. The actor also shared how her rescued pet dog brought happiness to her life.
'My Bruno baba came into our lives when he was just 4 months old. When the brilliant team at @yodamumbai found him, he was battered & badly hurt — jaw dislocated, tail burnt — yet his spirit was that of a warrior. All of this was done by little children who found joy in torturing an innocent soul. Not their fault — it's ours, for failing to instil empathy, co existence and kindness with us. Bruno is a wise soul. He is intelligent, kind, playful, nurturing, protective yet gentle,' Bhumi wrote in her long post.
The actor continued, 'The Hon. Supreme Court ruling that allows the picking up of 3,00,000 dogs in Delhi to be put into shelters, I can't help but think of Bruno… and all the Indies who have known nothing but the streets they call home. For decades, street dog feeders have been their champions — feeding them, caring for their wounds, getting them sterilised and vaccinated out of their own pockets. Instead of criminalising their existence or punishing those who care, I hope we create stronger reforms and systems- Mass sterilisation drives. Regular vaccination programs. Community-led feeding and monitoring.'
According to Bhumi, the Indian Pariah dogs have been part of the Indian cultural and spiritual heritage, going to call for empathy instead of cruelty.
Bhum wrote, 'The Indian Pariah dog has walked alongside us for over 4,500 years. They are part of our cultural and spiritual heritage — mentioned in the Rig Veda, the Mahabharata, and the Upanishads. In our ancient scriptures, they stood for loyalty, dharma, spiritual companionship, and protection. They still stand for the same today.'
'Removing them en masse, stripping them of the only life they know, will not solve the root issues — it will only create more cruelty and displacement. May there be empathy. May there be peace. May justice prevail,' she ended.
What do we know about the Supreme Court order
On Monday, the Supreme Court gave an order to remove all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets and place them in shelters within eight weeks. It sparked a debate with several politicians and celebrities, including Janhvi Kapoor, Sonakshi Sinha, Varun Dhawan, and Vir Das, coming forward to call out the move. The directive also led to protests with people asking the SC to take back the order.
On Wednesday, Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai said he would examine the ongoing contentions over the management of stray dogs, after an advocate flagged conflicting directions issued by different benches of the Supreme Court.