Delhiites for stray dogs: We have to be their voice

"Awara nahi, humara hai" was the sentiment of the Delhiites who gathered near Jantar Mantar on Sunday to protest against the Supreme Court's November 2025 order on mass removal of stray dogs from public and institutional premises of Delhi and their confinement. Before the hearing on January 7, India4Animals, an NGO, took a stand for the voiceless along with artists and residents of Delhi who appealed to the court with their words, tunes, and chants to "say yes to ABC and no to shelter."

'Nobody is here to perform. they are here to speak'

Calling for a peaceful protest, animal rights activist Ambika Shukla said, "Each person on stage today is a feeder, a rescuer, and an activist. Mohit Chauhan (who was at the event) has dedicated his latest song to street dogs. He feeds 400 dogs every day. Nobody is here to perform – they are here to speak, express their hearts, and emotions."


Echoing the message of coexistence and empathy, Mohit Chauhan sang his latest song, Meri Awaaz, a song dedicated to the voice of street dogs. He said, "I am here specifically for the protest. We are one with the animals, and we have to be their voice."

Music composer Shantanu Moitra also joined the protest and shared his thoughts on coexisting with animals. "When I lived here in Delhi, I knew that women felt safe coming back from work because they knew the street dog in their gully. They didn’t feel safe with human beings, but they felt safe with that dog. We know that the street is their home. Sterilise them, follow the procedures of birth control, but then put them back and see how we coexist.”

Gen Z makes their presence felt

Dhyan Foundation, which volunteered at the protest, is a pan-India helpline that takes care of stray animals. Vasudha Nagpal, a volunteer and pet parent, shares, “Gen Z participation helps because that’s what we want to teach – compassion, coexistence, and protecting the weak. You can't suppress or remove them – that’s not how nature works. It works in harmony with every living being."

Reflecting on the participation by Gen Z, Ambika said, "Not only will participation help the cause today, but it is inspiring to see that Gen Z is giving direction to the country for the future. When the weakest are protected, everybody’s protected."

Rahul Ram, bassist of Indian Ocean band, performed We Shall Overcome and Gar Ho Sake at the protest. "It's an unimplementable judgement because we don’t even have a number – a count of how many street dogs there are," he said while talking about the cause.