ALAPPUZHA: A stray dog can also be a beautiful one eligible to win an all-India prize instituted by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), India. Moochi, a stray dog rescued by playback singer Gowry Lekshmi, is one of the ten contestants selected by PETA for the final of the ‘Cutest Indian Dog Alive’ contest to be held on Monday. The online competition is meant for rescued stray dogs. Gowry, who hails from Cherthala, had brought the dog to her home after she saw it battling for life in a street in Chennai a year ago. It was unable to move around as its hind legs were fractured. She took it first to her friend’s home in Chennai where a veterinarian treated it. She christened him Moochi, the name of a Japanese dessert. Later, Gowry shifted it to Cherthala where it slowly walked back to normal life.
“I sent the application for the contest online explaining my experience with the dog. It was selected as one of the ten finalists and I feel so proud of being its guardian,” she told DC. Gowry, daughter of noted Musician Harikrishnan and Bindu, said that the stray dog menace can be resolved if each family adopts a dog. “They bite people because they assault them,” she said. According to Dr Manilal Valliyate, chief executive officer, PETA, "all rescued dogs are winners because they were saved by people who love them. Ten dogs were selected from over 100 entries from various states," he said.
The other contestants include Juju (Pondicherry), Hearty (Karnataka), Ellie (Hyderabad), Sheru (Punjab), Muttu (Karnataka) and Timon (Ahmedabad). The lucky pup will receive a certificate and a ‘100 percent Desi Dog’ doggie T-shirt. The guardian will receive a ‘My Dog Is a Rescue Dog’ T-shirt as well as a copy of PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk's book ‘Let's Have a Dog Party! 20 Tail-Wagging Celebrations to Share With Your Best Friend.’ The second and third prize winners will receive a certificate and a doggie T-shirt and the guardian will get a T-shirt. All winners will appear in an upcoming issue of ‘Animal Times,’ PETA's magazine for the members.
