Imran Khan now part of the PETA family

When Imran Khan joined hands with PETA, most wondered if the young actor had given up on his love for non-vegetarian food. But the fact is that the actor still relishes his favourite biryanis and mughlai dishes.

However, he has joined PETA in a bid to encourage people to adopt strays and provide them shelter. A source says that Khan adopted a dog, Tony to kick start a campaign for the organisation.

But sources say that Khan’s love for dogs is not a new thing. In fact, Imran himself said that the number of pets in his home outdo the number of humans. “But I’m lucky that I have a bungalow, so I’m able to give shelter to these strays. I’m sure that there are many others who would love to do the same, but can’t, because of space constraints. Having said that, I really hope that when a person can, they take the responsibility of at least one stray — it can make a big difference,” says Khan.

The actor is not partial to just canines, he also loves felines, a fact not many know about. “My home is full of dogs and cats. And luckily for me, my wife shares the same passion for animals and causes to help them,” says the young actor.

Talking about the story behind adopting Tony, a source says that it was Khan’s friend who found the dog wandering on the streets.

“Then Imran took the time to file a complaint with the police and learned that the person Tony had been living with had thrown him out of the house. Finally Imran decided to give shelter to him,” says the source.

The actor, urging people to adopt instead of spending loads of money on a pet, says, “I care a lot about animals. If I see an injured animal, sick animal or essentially any animal I feel I could help in some way, I do that. The fact is that there are dogs and cats and all kinds of animals roaming around the streets. Very often when people buy dogs and cats — they see them as toys or as fashion accessories. They get bored of them and they throw them out of the house. That’s a very horrible thing to do.”