Sunny Leone bats for shelters, street dogs in PETA campaign

Mumbai, April 29 (IANS) Actress Sunny Leone is appearing in a new People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) advertisement headlined "Be an Angel for Animals! Adopt a Dog From the Street or a Shelter".

Sunny wants to draw her fans' attention to the plight of dogs waiting in animal shelters for loving homes, as well as those suffering on the street. She knows adoption, not buying, is key to fighting the worldwide crisis of animal homelessness.

"I believe in not buying - and adopting … because there are so many dogs out there (who) need a home, (who) were left on the streets", the actress said in a statement.

"If you can rescue an animal, then that's one of the greatest gifts you can give somebody," she added.

PETA and Sunny also promote sterilisation of companion animals.

Sterilisation is a routine, affordable surgery that can prevent thousands of animals from being born only to suffer and struggle to survive on the streets, be abused by cruel or neglectful people, or end up in animal shelters. Just one unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in six years.

In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce 370,000 kittens. Sterilising eliminates the stress and discomfort that females endure during heat and greatly reduces the risk of developing mammary cancer. It also makes males far less likely to roam or fight.