HYDERABAD: Even as the city gears up for the festival of colours, animal rights activists urge citizens to keep animals away from the celebrations, as the colours can cause serious health problems to them. Hundreds of animals develop skin-related diseases and eye infections due to the colours which people use to celebrate Holi. On some occasions, people also use colours on animals in their excitement, causing them tremendous pain.
“Do not involve animals in Holi celebrations. The festival is for us and not for them. These colours, cause them great irritation and many of them suffer from skin-infections. Sometimes, they even go blind,” said B Padmaja, president, Caring hands for animals.
Activists point out that while citizens have every right to celebrate and enjoy Holi, they advise people to spare a thought for the well-being of animals. “Even though dogs are colourblind, when they suddenly see so many colours around them, they get scared. On a lot of occasions, animals get petrified by sudden colours and pichkaris and run wildly, resulting in accidents,” Padmaja laments.