Lending support to a pet-friendly Diwali in Pune

To ensure a safe Diwali for animals, pet lovers in the city and a Mumbai-based publication house have launched an anti-cracker noise campaign, ‘Festival of Kindness’, in the city.

The month-old drive is an initiative to encourage people to celebrate the festival with empathy towards mankind and animals.

Pune volunteer Huzzanah Banajee Joseph said that the campaign aims to make people aware about the trauma and stress that pet animals and pet owners go through during Diwali.

“The firecrackers, smoke and noise petrify the animals, causing them hurt. The drive is an attempt to make people aware about the ill-effects of unsafe Diwali,” Joseph told DNA.

The volunteers had put up a stall at Hotel Westin on October 8 and October 9 to publicise the objective of the drive, besides gathering an enormous response via social media. More than 50,000 people from all over the country voiced their support via the website www.woofmag.in/diwali.

“We have received nationwide support. However, people from Pune and Mumbai have been very proactive in venting their voice against firecrackers, which make life miserable for the pets,” Joseph said.

More than hundred people took part in a rally in support for the cause from University circle to the Agricultural College on October 16. The organisers have also approached city schools and corporate houses.

“We conducted drives for the students of Daffodil International School and Vikhe Patil Memorial School to make them aware of the ill-effects of crackers. Many corporate houses of the city too have put up posters in their offices,” he said.