Model and TV host Anoushey Ashraf shared a personal story about her love for animals on Instagram We hope it encourages people to join the fight for animal rights. The TV host shared that she had loved animals since she was a child and her mother encouraged her to undertake multiple animal rescue missions, with the result that their backyard soon became a mini-zoo. “I rescued my first injured animal at the age of six perhaps. A little kitten from the street across the road from our house. That’s how it all began,” said Anoushey. “Soon after there was an injured baby crow, fallen from a tree. An injured kite. An injured pup. I always wanted to adopt the dog no one wanted from the litter because of its limp, or the kitten that couldn’t see. “All this was also followed by bringing in unhurt but very cute lambs, rabbits, ducklings, hens, a partridge, turtles and some geese. By the time I turned 9, our backyard was a mini zoo. And we were proud of it. A little corner for the blind injured and hurt. Another for the ones recuperating. The rest were allowed to roam free. They dirtied the place, they made it smell funny but they gave me so so so much joy. And my Mom let me keep each of them. For which I will forever be grateful. “I often talk about how my love for nature, travel etc has been inherited from my dad. But my love for animals comes from my mom. Even today, she carries Suri around to places like she would her own child. When I was unsure about keeping another rescue Pixie many years later, my mom was the one who convinced me to give that dog our home. She secretly loved/loves them all more than I do but has someone to blame when they tire her out.” Anoushey ends the story with a request for her fans “to be nice to all animals, discourage hunting, encourage humane slaughter (this one’s debatable), avoid animal circuses, riding elephants for fun, water shows etc.” Anoushey added that she trusts the Ayesha Chundrigar Foundation for donations. Published in Daily Times, January 23rd 2019.