Raveena Tandon: You need compassion to rescue animals

There are pet lovers everywhere around us, but in the past few years, rescue and adoption of native pets from the streets and animal shelters has seen a rise, as people have grown to understand how important it is to give these animals a loving family and a home. Raveena Tandon, who is an environmental activist and a fervent supporter of animal rights, has led this trend by rescuing many animals and providing them shelter either at her home or her farmhouse. On Pet Day today, the actress shares with us her personal stories of rescuing animals and how she’s been an ardent animal lover since childhood. Recalling the time when she brought home a little kitten for the first time, the actress says, “I remember I was just three or four years old and had rescued a kitten and brought her home.”Raveena says, “Now after 30-40 years, I rescued a kitten (four years ago) who was crossing the road and was almost going to die under the wheels of a vehicle. I brought her home and named her Puma. She is now four-years-old.”

The actress, who was recently awarded the Padma Shri, stresses on the need to adopt pets over shopping or going to a breeder for one. Currently, she has adopted and rescued four dogs and three cats. Out of these rescued pets, a dog named Cuddle and a cat named Puma live with the actress in her home in Mumbai along with her other pets, while the rest live on her farm. She also has three Mini Pomeranians and a Husky. Earlier, the actress had another pet, Chotu, a visually impaired rescued Indie dog, who passed away in March 2021. “Looking after the welfare of animals and having pets are two different things. It is important to understand that adopting an Indie is far more important than specialty breeds multiplying and all of us buying them. Everyone looks after pedigree pets, but it is important to give a home to these Indies who need protection and shelter. At my farm, one of the rescued dogs, Lilie, is a tripod, (she has three legs) and it is lovely playing with her,” she says.