Don’t abandon pets over virus scare, say celebs
After erroneous posters by Mumbai’s civic authorities urged people to avoid contact with wild, farm and pet animals to stem the spread of Covid-19, many abandoned their pets. Now, film celebs including John Abraham, Arjun Kapoor, Pooja Bhatt, Twinkle Khanna and Farah Khan have requested people to not just care for pets, but the strays too. “Animals do not get or transmit Covid-19... Please don’t be misinformed,” tweeted Abraham, after which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation took down the hoardings. The World Health Organisation has stated: “...to date, there is no evidence that a dog, cat or any pet can transmit Covid-19”.
However, the damage has been done. “People want to abandon their pets and are asking NGOs to adopt them,” says Dr Shrawan Kumar Gupta, a Delhi vet.
Amritika Phool, an ex coopted member of the Animal Welfare Board of India and an animal helper, says she now gets calls daily. “What’s needed is basic hygiene. Quarantine your pets so that the virus doesn’t settle on their bodies from outside exposure. Also, wash your hands after a cuddle session,” says Phool.
Aditi Badam, founder of the animal welfare organisation Posh Foundation, informs they have a 24×7 helpline number (9953440509) to address such queries. Sachin Bangera, from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA, India), adds, “Animals need us more than ever. Please do not abandon them.”
Celebs put their weight behind this message, and some such as Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Disha Patani shared photos/videos of quarantine time with their pets! Kapoor wrote: “Be kind, be decent, be human and stop leaving them stranded at a time like this”, while Khanna posted: “There is no evidence dogs and cats pass on Covid-19... A cuddle a day keeps the doctor and the vet away, so do cuddle away.”
Mini Mathur, a pet parent, wrote, “Wash their paws after a walk, but abandoning them so you don’t have to walk them is like walking out on a child coz its extra work...(sic)” Bhatt puts it straight: “Animals can’t continue to pay the price for the ignorance of man.”