Bollywood actor Dino Morea, a self-proclaimed animal lover, always waits for this time of the year. Pet Fed 2018, a festival for pets and pet lovers, has started and Dino has been associated with it for five years now. Pet Fed 2018 started in Bangalore on 1 December and will come to Delhi on 15-16 December.

In an interaction with thestateman.com, Dino Morea speaks about his love for pets, his association with Pet Fed, and a bit about his professional life.

Excerpts:

Please share your earliest memory of owning a pet.

My earliest memory of having a pet is from when I was just 4 years old. That’s when we had our first dog and my love for them started at that tender age.

Are you a cat person or a dog person?

I love all pets equally, but I’m more of a dog person. The only reason behind it is that I’ve always been around them since I was young, and hence the affinity for dogs. Otherwise, I also love spending quality time with cats and kittens whenever I can!

It has been five years that you have been associated with Pet Fed. How has it been?

I’ve always loved the idea of a pet carnival. Pet Fed has blended all of that perfectly well. The association automatically grows bigger as the festival grows exponentially every year. The number of pet parents are also increasing every passing year and it’s such a wonderful transformation to witness. We get to educate so many new and potential pet parents, so in short, the association has been fantastic for me!

What are you planning for the upcoming years with PetFed?

The founder of Pet Fed, Akshay Gupta, is a powerhouse of some brilliant ideas and the team does some amazing work! We are planning to go to as many cities and throw big and small carnivals alike! The whole idea is to get everyone to learn more about their pets, getting pets to come out and have fun. I mean, why should human beings have all the fun? Pets are equally a part of our families and we should ensure they have a good time too!

Pet Fed supports  #Adoptdontshop. Please say something about the cause.

I believe this to be one of the greatest causes there are. There is an entire network of breeders who get foreign breeds illegally to our land. These are breeds for whom India’s climate is not suitable at all. Most people have this misconception that we can bring them here anyway and everything will be okay if we keep them in an air conditioned room. This is not how it works. Try wearing a fur coat and walk around during summers in Mumbai and you’d understand what we humans put them through. Under the pretence and fancies of owning an exotic dog, we end up indirectly encouraging such illegal breeding activities. A lot of dogs are also abandoned due to the same issues. We urge you to adopt these dogs who would have a loving home rather than encourage illegal and apathetic activities like breeding.

What are your thoughts about pet carnivals? What are you looking forward to at Pet Fed 2018?

As mentioned before, when humans have a carnival, everyone has a gala time! Why not have a carnival dedicated to our pets? Pets are curious beings just like humans. Your pet wants to go out, they might want to go to different food stalls, want to check out a few accessories and even socialize with other furry beings. There are so many amazing games, activities and competitions they would love to be a part of, but cannot say it loud. So it’s our responsibility to dedicate these two days to them! To make sure that they have so much fun that they will love you even more. If that’s even possible!

On the professional front, when can we see you on the big screen?

Next year I’ve got something interesting lined up and hopefully in 2019 you will see me in your nearest cinema hall! But if you want to meet me before that, you can head to the Pet Fed festivals in either Bengaluru, Delhi & Mumbai!