by Suman Gupta
Mumbai, February, 7, 2023: The Youth Organisation in Defense of Animals (YODA) has recently launched a campaign called ‘Naamkaran’ with the likes of Bollywood superstars such as Arjun Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Bhumi Pednekar among others to help promote the concept of adoption around giving the shelter puppies they own name. This campaign comes to life with celebrities giving their own names to shelter puppies along with an appeal to adopt a shelter animal. YODA has also collaborated with indie band When Chai Met Toast to release a song that speaks about the unconditional love, compassion and bond between a human and his furry best friend.
People in India tend to take offence every time they learn that an animal (esp. a dog) shares the same name as them. People give names to animals (especially stray) after people they dislike, or feel are inferior to them and out of spite. YODA wants to change this to a trend of people naming their pets to the names of people they love, so that our animals are not wearing a badge of spite, but of pride along with giving shelter dogs an identity and promoting adoption of a pet from a shelter.
To make it a trend that the country falls in love with and helps change the mindset at a deep-root level – celebrities and influencers who love animals were roped in to name a pet, after themselves from the YODA shelter – with affection, pride, celebration and support of the animal’s innocence.
Stars such as Kriti Sanon, Genelia Dsouze, Riteish Deshmukh, Priya Dutt, Karishma Tanna, Arjun and Anushla Kapoor, Pooja Dhingra and Bani J, named puppies from the YODA shelter after themselves and took to social media to capture the moment along with an appeal to adopt these beautiful animals and give them a permanent home.
“I recently adopted a shelter dog and I cannot begin to express how, rewarding beyond words, it is to rescue a dog from a shelter and have that dog become part of your family. He is so intelligent, resilient and so loyal. I wish for everyone to break the stigma around adoption and give a furry animal a forever home” says actress Bhumi Pednekar, who adopted an indie dog from the YODA shelter.
Apart from this, YODA also launched a song ‘Humein Jeena Saath Hai Yahaan’ that speaks about the ageless bond between animal with popular and multilingual indie-folk alternative band ‘When Chai Met Toast’. The video features celebrities like Bhumi Pedhnekar, Barkha Singh, Priya Dutt, Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh, Kim Sharma and Leander Paes appealing to break this naming stigma and also give these furry babies a home they can call their own.
Priya Agarwal Hebbar, co-founder of YODA says, “We would want this song to be heard not as YODA’s jingle but as a true homage to the connection and genuine care felt between humans who care for and adopt animals into their homes and hearts, and how beautifully the animals reciprocate by making the humans their whole world, filling our families with unconditional love, attention and above all, joy.”
Song Link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EklsAPJ56Wo
Social Campaigns:
Kriti Sanon: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CkLHDonock7/?igshid=Nzg3NjI1NGI%3D
Arjun and Anushla Kapoor:https://www.instagram.com/reel/CmlfeZGBEqi/
Pooja Dhingra:https://www.instagram.com/reel/CjR_uN7Af4Q/
Bhumi Pedhnekar:https://www.instagram.com/tv/Ca1WcvZl6C1/?igshid=Nzg3NjI1NGI%3D
Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh:https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZQuI38Bwzg/?igshid=Nzg3NjI1NGI%3D
