Puppy love!

Alia Bhatt is championing a cause for street dogs

Alia Bhatt has taken up a cause very close to her heart. The actress has joined the Coexist campaign for the welfare of street cats and dogs, which has started a denim donation drive across different cities in India.

“Something as simple as cleaning out your closet could actually help save lives,”says Alia.“Motopaws, a youth led initiative, uses old denims to create reflective collars for street dogs. This makes it easier for motorists to see the dogs from a distance and helps prevent accidents,” explains Alia.

Denim forms the base of the collar which is then covered by waterproof fabric and topped with retro reflective tape. Approved by vets, the collar has no harmful effects on dogs or humans.

“Street dogs have no safe shelter and are sometimes injured or run over by motorists especially at night, due to low visibility. Through this campaign we shall focus on building a safer environment for our youth,” says Alia.

The denim donation drive will be held across multiple cities such as Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Delhi, Dehradun, Goa, Hyderabad, Indore, Kanpur, Kokrajhar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Mysore, Pune, Shimoga, Surat and Vishakhapatnam. While donation boxes are placed across Mumbai and Pune, donors from other cities could get in touch with the Motopaws representative in their city.

Coexist, an ecological initiative by Alia Bhatt, envisions a world in which man lives in harmony with animals and nature. Alia believes that each one of us has a responsibility towards our planet and it is time for action. To COEXIST is the first step in that direction.