These Furry Friends From Kala Ghoda Arts Festival Are Ready To Be Your Family

The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival has always been about celebrating creativity, culture, and community. This year, however, amid the vibrant installations, the festival has also quietly spotlighted a cause that's close to many hearts, by giving stray dogs a chance at finding their home.

In collaboration with NGO Welfare of Stray Dogs (WSD), the festival set up an open dog adoption counter at Horniman Circle Garden, where visitors could meet and interact with indie dogs rescued and nurtured by the organisation. The initiative aimed not only to encourage adoption but also to start meaningful conversations around responsible pet parenting and the welfare of street dogs.

Speaking about the response at the festival, Vishal Joshi, Volunteer Manager at WSD, shared, “The crowd at Kala Ghoda Arts Festival is extremely welcoming of indie dogs. They are curious to know more."

"They are happy to hang out with them, take pictures, and get to know them more," he adds. According to him, the interest people showed towards the dogs went beyond casual curiosity. “A lot of people have shown interest. They are following up. We've invited them to our centre to interact more with the dogs," he shares.

Joshi emphasised that adoption is treated with seriousness and care. “We are very particular as far as the adoptions go. We don't rush into it and we do not allow people to just take the dog home on the first meeting. There is a process that we follow to minimise the chances of the dogs being abandoned thereafter,” he explained, highlighting how crucial this step is, especially in these circumstances where stray dogs are at risk now.”

Advocating strongly for indie dog adoption, he says, “It is very important to adopt Indie dogs. They are amazing, they are faithful, they are resilient, extremely strong.” He further adds, “I think they make a better companion and are extremely loving. These local breeds are made and suited for these climate conditions and food as well.”

As art lovers assemble at Kala Ghoda for culture and creativity, these furry visitors are also grabbing the attention of many.