12 months of cuteness

Suchitra Pillai with Lucky. Pic/Vikram Bawa

Sure, we all enjoy watching glamorous women and men on calendar covers. But what's more exciting and heart-warming is the idea of playful pups and fuzzy felines making it to almanacs. PYAR (Partnering with You for Animal Rights) Foundation, started by model-actor Riya Bhattacherje, has launched one such calendar that features resilient animals that have survived accidents, disease, abandonment and human cruelty, alongside their pet parents.

The calendar, shot by Vikram Bawa, features 12 cats and dogs with their owners, which includes actors Urmila Matondkar, Suchitra Pillai, Siddharth P Malhotra, Satyajeet Dubey and Dipannita Sharma, among others. Bhattacherje says the aim of this initiative is not just to generate funds for their various animal welfare activities such as sterilisation, vaccinations, rescue, but also raise awareness to put an end to animal abuse.

(From left) PYAR founders filmmaker Abhijit Das and Ria Bhattacherje, Vikram Bawa and actor Rithvik Dhanjani

"To put it simply, [the aim] is to do what is normally not done. For instance, we are all obsessed with imported breeds of dogs. PYAR wants to educate people about the consequences of that demand. From abandoned pets and uneducated mating of imported breeds with non-neutered indies resulting in mixed breeds that don't find homes, to forcible backyard breeding of these imported breeds, it's a case of rampant abuse. All of this when so many Indian dogs need homes, are extremely intelligent, low maintenance and grateful for the home they are given," she says.

Bhattacherje also hopes to reverse the aversion or hesitation people have towards female dogs and cats. "Some have cited periods as a problem, but simply sterilising your baby girl will take care of that problem. We are happy to answer every question people may have to set this cycle straight," she explains.

PYAR is powered by a group of animal lovers who proactively conduct rescues, vaccination and sterilisation of dogs and cats in Mumbai. One of the notable cases of PYAR's success would be Bozzo. The street dog was run over by an auto in Madh Island, and eventually rescued. "He had severe internal injuries at the time. So, to raise money, we reached out to people in our network. One of our actress friends, Trishna Mukherjee donated for the purpose. Later, she requested to meet Bozzo, and we thought it would be wonderful if Bozzo could personally thank someone who in part helped him out. He is now Bozzo Mukherjee."

Shooting the calendar was an absolute joy, says Bawa. "It was interesting, and challenging at times to get the animals comfortable with so many people and my equipment. When they approached me to partner with them and help them raise funds for a shelter, I jumped at the chance. And I'll happily do it again."

WHERE: www.pyarfoundation.org; @pyar_foundation, Instagram
PRICE: On request