International Dog Day: Actor-singer Danish Sood says, ‘I am against animal cruelty’

Once bitten twice shy is an adage that fails to stand in between the love of actor-singer Danish Pratap Sood when matters pertaining to his heart are related to dogs! Visiting his family in the Capital at present, this west Delhi lad confesses how his “home has been a favourite spot among strays, to get regular treats”.

Ahead of International Dog Day (August 26), Sood confessed to HT City about his unwavering love for the furry pals and reveals why he could never have a pet at his home even after parenting so many homeless!

Having gained popularity in the world of web series, with Madhuri Dixit-starrer The Fame Game earlier, and of late Naam Namak Nishan, Sood is currently in Delhi to meet his fam and recently visited a dog shelter in Noida to get some cuddle therapy and make some new four-legged buddies. “Growing up in Delhi, my sister and me were too young to understand why we couldn’t bring home a dog. Later we got to know that my grandfather was once sadly bitten by a dog and hence this restriction came into place,” he reveals, as a funny incident from the past tickles his memory, and he goes on to narrate it: “My father is a doctor (general physician) and would help us take care of the dogs in our colony of Janakpuri, and all these strays would usually roam around and even park themselves around my house as my family would provide them food and medical attention, whenever required… There was this one time when we had to take a stray to the doctor and it was administered a sedative, but the dosage of the drug turned out to be suitable for a human being! For the first four hours that dog was in a trance and ended up running everywhere. I was made responsible for monitoring him closely and can’t forget how funny it was.”

“I am against animal cruelty and really feel that people should not hurt them (animals),” says Sood, voicing his opinion on the recent increase in cases of tiffs between RWAs and dog feeders in various parts of the Capital. He elucidates, “Just imagine if we treat human beings in a bad way or hit them; they will also come back to retaliate. So the same goes for dogs… The (residents’ welfare) associations are doing a great job of vaccinating the strays and making them wear collars to ensure these get identified as being taken care of by someone. But we need to understand that no animal harms humans unless disturbed [in their natural habitat]. I must have been bitten one or two times while taking care of the strays, including domesticated animals, but that doesn’t mean I should start hating dogs!”

Like most animal lovers, Sood emphasises and iterates how these voiceless beings are a source of immense love and care. “If you happen to love dogs, you are lucky to get to experience the feeling of unconditional love. I feel no human being can give you such unconditional love as a dog can! When someone is suffering from a crisis, dogs help them get through it. So I don’t think you can find a better companion than a dog when you want someone to be there for you. I feel happy to see so many indie dogs getting adopted of late. But, you need to certainly show or appreciate the amount of love that you see in them,” he concludes.