00:00In every Indian street, in every lane, under every T-stall bench, beside every traffic signal,
00:10lives a soul that asks for very little from us, ladies and gentlemen.
00:16A little fruit, maybe, a little kindness, a little safety.
00:22And yet, and yet, stray dogs in India often receive the exact opposite.
00:30Read the Supreme Court verdict from time to time to understand what's going on.
00:35They are beaten, abandoned, run over, starved, poisoned, given horrific treatment,
00:44treated as if their lives matter much less than ours.
00:48But pause for a second and really look at them.
00:52And to be honest, look within.
00:54The dog waiting outside a shop in the rain or suffering in the heat right now.
01:00Who doesn't have access to an air conditioner or a fan.
01:03That puppy sleeping beside a construction site.
01:06Hungry, tired, sleepless.
01:10That old streak dog wagging its tail at strangers despite a lifetime of hardship.
01:17And not too many years ahead, by the way.
01:19They still trust us.
01:21After everything that we do to them, or we don't, they still trust human beings.
01:29And maybe that says more about them than it does about us.
01:36The truth, dogs do not care about your religion, your income status, your caste, your bank balance.
01:46Are you living in South Mumbai or South Delhi?
01:48Your political views, pro-BJP, pro-Congress.
01:52Or your social status or your followers on Instagram.
01:55They don't care a damn.
01:56They only understand one thing.
01:58Love, loyalty, presence.
02:00They stay beside us when the world walks away.
02:04Believe me, I have grown up with dogs.
02:08Science today tells us what dog lovers already know.
02:12And maybe some of you should.
02:14Dogs reduce your stress.
02:17When you see them wagging their tail, your anxiety disappears.
02:20You are no longer lonely.
02:21And depression, don't even think about it.
02:23It improves your emotional well-being.
02:26It makes your house warmer and your life incredibly softer.
02:31But beyond science, ladies and gentlemen, is something even more important.
02:36Humanity.
02:37A society is ultimately judged not by the wealth of its richest people.
02:42Not by these wars that are going on.
02:45But by how it treats its most vulnerable.
02:50And stray dogs are amongst the most vulnerable lives around us, ladies and gentlemen.
02:55So feed them when you can.
02:58Protect them when you can.
03:00Show kindness whenever you can.
03:03And if life allows you.
03:04Because if you can, and I hope you can, adopt one.
03:09Not because you're rescuing a dog.
03:12Don't think it's an act of rescue.
03:14Because somewhere along the way, that dog may rescue a part of you too.
03:21It's a quid pro quo.
03:23They're called man's best friend for a reason.
03:28Let us finally start behaving like this.
03:31What else can I say?
03:33Take care.
03:33And see you soon.
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