Sonnalli Seygall: Houses with pets would be happier during the pandemic

Pyaar Ka Punchnama actor Sonnalli Seygall propagates love for strays and abandoned pets during the Covid-19 pandemic. She has been feeding strays in her locality, amid the lockdown.

Among the many things that actor Sonnalli Seygall has been doing amid lockdown, the one that’s on her priority is to foster a close friend’s dog, while quarantining amid coronavirus crisis. “My friend had gone to Dehradun, and that’s when the flights stopped because of the lockdown; so he couldn’t come back. His dog, Majnu, was alone here in Mumbai. I went and got him to stay with me and now I’m living with three people and three pets!”

Actor Sonnalli Seygall is feeding the strays in her locality, during Covid-19 lockdown.

“Everyone who doesn’t like animals can at least keep a bowl of water or some food, or left over dal chawal outside their house or building during the lockdown.”
— Sonnalli Seygall , actor

Popular for her characters in Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011) and its sequel (2015), Seygall has taken it upon herself to herself to feed the stray dogs in her locality, every day without fail. She has also been vocal, on the social media, to advise people to not abandon their pets, out of the fear of the latter spreading coronavirus. “There are no cases right now to prove that pets spread coronavirus,” says Seygall, who refers to stray dogs as ‘country dogs’. She adds, “I understand that everyone cannot love pets like I do, but what people need to understand is that all country dogs are dependent on our activities for their day to day food, and people aren’t able to go about freely feeding them because of the lockdown and the dogs are very starved. Therefore I advise everyone who doesn’t like animals, to just keep a bowl of water or some food, or left over dal chawal outside their house or building. For those who love animals, you could buy pedigree and cover the whole lane and colony you’re living in.”

Seygall has herself rescued and adopted a few pets herself, and encourages others as well to adopt pets during the pandemic; and also otherwise. “I feel the ones who have pets in their houses would be much happier people during the lockdown, as pets are such a stress buster, especially right now. It’s such a nice feeling to have pets in the house, endorphins release from my body whenever I see them,” says the 31-year-old.

Ask what has been the biggest lesson for Seygall, during this pandemic, and pat comes the reply: “Do not take things for granted!” She adds, “I realise the value of freedom, and just being able to step out and meet my friends or walk out without a mask and breathe in the air without a scare… these are the things we took for granted and I’ll value this a lot. What is a big anchor for me now, is engaging myself in meditation.”

Author tweets @FizzyBuddha

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