Anderson, who also happens to be a PETA ambassador and an animal rights activist, had written a letter to the BMC on Wednesday expressing concern over the pending proposal for killing ‘nuisance strays’ in Mumbai.

Phatak confirmed that he has received the letter which talks about promoting sterilisation of stray dogs. “But outsiders can’t tell us what to do and what not to do as the conditions here are different than theirs and so is the law,” he said.

Last month, the Bombay High Court ordered killing of stray dogs that had become a nuisance. But, there is a six-week stay on the order now. Anderson’s letter, through the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), comes as a follow up to the court’s order on killing of strays. However Phatak said that the civic body can’t act on the appeals made by ‘outsiders’. “If an American citizen says not to go for capital punishment we cannot change the entire judiciary for them. On such issues, the court has to take a decision,” he said, adding that the BMC, however, will also act on decision given by the court with regards to control of the stray population.