Tollywood actor Akhil Akkineni through a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India campaign has appealed to his fans to open up their homes for homeless dogs or cats.
The actor, who recently made debut with film "Akhil: The Power of Jua" batted for the cause of adopting stray dogs and cats in want of a shelter by appearing in a brand-new campaign for PETA India.
In the print visual of the campaign, Akkineni is shown with rescued dog 'Browney' with the caption "Adopt Love. Adopt a Dog From a Shelter or the Street", according to an PETA release here today.
Akkineni says, "I have been brought up in a house where animals are our friends and we treat them as equal ... When someone is mean to a dog, they are being cruel to a living being."
"Animals don't deserve to be abused. They deserve to be friends with us and they deserve to be appreciated for the beautiful beings they are," the release quoted the actor as saying.
"Scores of homeless cats and dogs are fighting for their lives. With only scraps to eat, many go hungry. Many sustain broken bones and wounds that become infected, are killed by vehicles or are abused by cruel people," it said.
According to the release, one unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in six years. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce 3,70,000 kittens.
"Sterilising eliminates the stress and discomfort that females endure during heat periods and greatly reduces the risk of mammary cancer. It also makes males far less likely to roam or fight," it added.
