Upala KBR (MID-DAY; March 24, 2018)

Arjun Rampal has joined the growing league of actors who’ve chosen to adopt stray animals instead of shop for them. The newest member of the Rampal family, Simba is an Indian stray dog, who is only a few weeks old.

The actor, who has been campaigning for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), tells mid-day, “The decision to adopt Simba was taken by my daughters, Mahikaa and Myra. We recently lost our bulldog, Gangster, and my children have been wanting to adopt a dog ever since. Simba was rescued from an Alibaug beach, where he was stranded.”

Rampal and his kids found out about the canine through a veterinarian, after the latter learned of it from another client. “He was rescued by someone who already owns several dogs, and hence couldn’t shelter another. When we heard of him, we wanted to bring him home.”

Prod the actor on why he chose the quirky name of Simba for the pet, and he says that it was the first to pop in his head when he heard about how the furry stray was spotted. “We were told that he was sitting like a little lion on the rocks, gazing away at the ocean. I was immediately reminded of the lion, Simba [fictional cartoon character from The Lion King],” Rampal says.

The actor hopes that his gesture will motivate others to also shelter strays. “It’s important for people to adopt strays and give them a home because many people are cruel to animals. Unfortunately, dogs become victims to their violence. Dogs are loving, and only need affection from us.”