PAWSITIVE

- Sidharth Sharma.

This Deepawali, lets go 'PAWsitive'!

All of us love pets, don't we? According to reports, the pet population in India has grown from 7 million in 2006 to 10 million in 2011. On an average 600,000 pets are adopted every year! These numbers suggest that yes, we do love pets! Pets are a man's best friend; they help us to ease loneliness and relieve tension. Not only this, pets have a beneficial effect on our health as well! Recent studies suggest that pets help in reducing the risk of high blood pressure, decrease the risk of depression and prevent eczema and allergies to some extent. So don't you think it is time for us to do something for them?

This deepawali, Anushka Sharma has taken a small step for the welfare of pets. And yes, it is indeed a wonderful initiative- PAWsitivity! Pawsitivity aims at celebrating a noise-free diwali so that our pets don't get disturbed. It is a known fact that animals have advanced hearing skills as compared to humans. Owing to this, the noise produced by firecrackers tends to cause them a lot of disturbance! So avoiding the use of firecrackers will not only protect our pets, but will also protect our environment from a lot of unwanted pollution!

Speaking about the same, Anushka Sharma said, "Animals are our best friends. They make me laugh & I share a personal bond with them. Their welfare is one cause that's close to my heart & I will keep taking up initiatives that make us care for them too. When

someone bursts fire crackers during Diwali, they don't think of how it affects animals or birds. With 'Pawsitive' I hope I can inspire some of us to care about them, and avoid making a lot of noise. Diwali is a festival of lights & happiness, and can also be celebrated with your family in a safe & healthy manner."

Let us all pledge to celebrate a noise-free Diwali this year!