Puppy love in the time of Covid

It was International Dog Day on 26th August. The day was very special for many families this year.

Lots of people felt lonely in the Covid-19 lockdown. People with dogs didn’t feel so bad.

3 million people in India had Coronavirus. People had to stay at home for a month. After the lockdown, lots of people got a dog.

Dawn William works for an animal charity.

William: “People feel fine when they have a dog, have a pet at home. You know, you have to care for it, you have to give him a bath, you have to take him for a walk, you have to play with him and, he has also a lot of demands from you, so it keeps you going."

There are 30 million street dogs in India. They don’t have a home. Animal charities want people to get one of these dogs. They call them “desi” or “indie” dogs.

Young people in India are listening. Many of them are getting a “desi” dog.

Avani Naresh: “So basically, what I feel is, dog absorbs your entire stress, so they understand, you know, what you are going through. And that's like the brilliant thing about the dogs, about the pets." View Less