Rupali Ganguly's hard-hitting post over SC's order on stray dogs: 'Rabies is tragic, but removing street dogs is...'
Taking to X on Tuesday, Rupali wrote, 'In our traditions, dogs guard Bhairav Baba's temple and are fed on Amavasya for blessings.' She added that strays have long protected neighbourhoods, guarded shops, and acted as an early warning system against thefts. 'Removing them suddenly is like silencing an alarm before a fire,' she said.
According to the actress, shifting strays to distant shelters is 'not kindness, but exile.' She stressed that these animals are 'not strangers but part of Indian faith, culture and community safety,' and called for their care through vaccination and feeding, rather than displacement.
In another post, Rupali addressed concerns about rabies but said that mass removal of street dogs was 'a reaction born of fear, not compassion or wisdom.' She further wrote, 'Rabies can be eradicated, as proven by cities worldwide, through mass vaccination and sterilisation, not through breaking the spirits of animals by caging them away. Uprooting them from their territories will create more chaos, more dog fights, and even more risk of disease as new unvaccinated animals move in.'
The actress further added, 'The Earth is indeed for all, and that 'all' includes the voiceless beings God placed here alongside us. Justice is not about choosing between lives, but about finding a path where all can live without fear. Let us act with faith, compassion, and foresight, not haste.'
The Supreme Court's ruling, passed on Monday, directed local bodies to capture and transfer every stray dog in Delhi-NCR to designated shelters, ensuring none escapes.
The verdict has drawn sharp criticism from animal welfare groups, activists and citizens who believe it disregards the natural role strays play in urban life.
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