#Petpeeve: Randeep Hooda urges people to be mindful while getting dogs

Mumbai, March 8  Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda, who is an ardent animal lover and has never shied away from speaking against animal cruelty, has put forth a compassionate request with regards to how people treat their pet dogs and that fur-friends should be treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

Making a thoughtful remark, Randeep, an equestrian and a dog lover says: “A dog is not just a cute puppy you get to play around with for some time and then abandon or neglect it. They are as much a responsibility as the joy they give.”

With the Channing tatum starrer ‘Dog’ raking in a moolah, there has been cause for alarm amongst the dog lover communities across the world and its echoes have been heard in India too.

With the film arriving in Indian cinemas on March 11, pet lovers, who work towards the betterment of dogs, are worried that people would rush to buy Belgian Malinois, a hunter dog that needs a tremendous amount of socializing and training to become a family dog.

Laying his ground further, Randeep, who recently underwent a knee surgery, said that what breed one brings to their home is purely their prerogative and choice but, he also maintains that people need to do basic research on their part before getting a dog and should factor in their requirements with regards to climate conditions and physical space.

Randeep adds, “What dog you get is totally your choice but one must understand that certain breeds are for a certain climate like St Bernard’s or huskies. Also the size of the dog can be determined by the space you have.”

The actor opines that for Indian households Mongrel street dogs are a good fit as they are highly adaptive, “In my opinion our desi Mongrel street dogs are best suited for the climate wherever you are and the easiest to look after. They truly are man’s best friend.”

Adding to this Malaika Fernandes of baubau.com, a dog training company says, “A lot of people adopted dogs during the lockdown and abandoned them. Some of them have been gracious enough to put the dogs in shelters but there were a lot of issues with regards to separation anxiety, dogs not being socialized with a lot of behavior issues which cropped up once the lockdown was opened up.”

Talking about the repercussions of the advertisement, she adds, “It led to many abandoning the distraught and traumatized pets or sending them to shelters which also scares the pets.”

The pet lover communities have cautioned about people who get inspired to get a dog after watching a film depicting a heartwarming man dog relationship. They often get small pups home without having proper knowledge about their training and habitat requirements. This leads to a lot of dog abandonment and trauma for the pets.

On the work front, Randeep will next be seen in ‘Unfair and Lovely, web series ‘Inspector Avinash’ and revenge drama series ‘Cat’.