New Delhi: The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India are encouraging people to get patriotic by adopting a lovable Indian dog from the streets or an animal shelter, rather than adding to the homeless animal crisis by patronizing breeders and pet shops that sell foreign pedigrees.
Just ahead of Independence Day, PETA India has placed billboards at Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Mumbai. The Delhi billboard is located at the Minto Road Crossing, towards New Delhi Railway Station, a release from PETA said.
"It's irresponsible for anyone to breed or buy animals when millions of homeless Indian dogs and cats are languishing on the streets and in shelters," said PETA India Senior Campaigns Coordinator Radhika Suryavanshi.
"Every time someone buys a 'foreign' purebreed puppy or kitten from a breeder or pet shop, a desi animal loses a chance at finding a loving home," she said.
Community dogs and cats on the streets often starve or are injured, abused, or hit by vehicles; countless others are left to languish in animal shelters because there aren't enough good homes for them. "That's why PETA India advocates for adoption and urges guardians to have their dog and cat companions sterilized," the release said.
Celebrities such as Madhuri Dixit, Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha, Raveena Tandon, Trisha Krishnan, Dino Morea and Imran Khan are among those who have urged their fans to choose adoption of community cats and dogs by working with PETA India.
Incidentally, it is not just that foreign breeds get adopted faster than Indian/street dogs but in several areas, people who want to feed stray dogs are stopped by others in their area. A Delhi High Court decision earlier this month had stated that the animals have a right under the law to be treated with compassion, respect and dignity and had asked the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) to designate areas in consultation with Resident Welfare Associations "for feeding of community dogs in the national capital."
"Community dogs (stray/street dogs) have the right to food and citizens have the right to feed community dogs but in exercising this right, care and caution should be taken to ensure that it does not impinge upon the rights of others or cause any harm, hindrance, harassment and nuisance to other individuals or members of the society," Justice J R Midha had said in his order earlier last month.