Nafisa Ali

Former Miss India, national swimming champion, socialite, model, actress, social worker and….yes, a dog lover! Dogs & Pups met Nafisa Ali who is also the wife of celebrity polo player Pickles Sodhi.
Nafisa has been a dog and nature lover all her life. Quite like she says, “I grew up amidst animals,” “From the earliest time I remember, we’ve had pets.” “There were dogs, I love them and we also had ducks, they were so cute,” she sighs! In her own patented Nafisa style! “We’ve also had a whistling teal who was the friendliest little thing I ever knew.” Nafisa manages to keep both her active social life and spend lots of time with her 4 dogs- Sunshine, Mischief, Amber and Macho .
She runs an NGO called Action India, which focuses on the AIDS issue. She even made a documentary on people suffering with HIV positive, which was highly appreciated. She is also a member of children’s welfare organisation. Here’s more to the starry Nafisa and her love for her pets :

About her pets

I’ve always had pets. Simba, my first dog, was the sweetest and the most docile of them all. He used to even let kittens and little ducklings sit on his head! Such a darling! Currently, I have four dogs. The eldest among them is Sunshine, who is 11 years old. She is very possessive and does not like if I pay attention to the others. Then I have Amber who is 8 years old. Mischief and Macho are both 4 years old. I once happened to be a chief guest at a dog show and saw a little pup, a Russian Pekingese. I fell in love with him and quickly made up my mind to take him home. The same day my son saw Mischief, shivering in the cold, thus both Mischief and Macho completed our family.

And why she recommends pets

I think pets give us a sense of belonging, inner peace and security. Security not in the form of a watchdog but a sense of warmth. They teach us responsibility, love and care.

On children and pets

I feel very sad when parents don’t let kids handle pets or go close to them – it’s their insecurity and they pass it on to the children. It’s very sad. Only when we let them enjoy nature, will they realise their social responsibility towards our pet friends. And I think that it is very important that children grow up with pets as they teach co-dependency, interaction and support. Since childhood we at least had four dogs in the house.

On female dogs

Not because I’m a feminist, but I rubbish the fact that female dogs are tougher to maintain and think it is totally a myth and nothing else. I rather not have male dogs all over, marking their territories all around. I normally prefer female dogs as they are gentler and sensible.

On food

We feed our dogs basic roti and milk, but they get keema and vegetables most evenings. I love feeding them. They simply gorge on food.

And the dogs are…

Definitely mine. See them get instantaneously jealous if I pat one and not the other. They all vie for my attention – specially Sunshine.

To the readers

Love a pet. It’s a great feeling. Try to understand them and I’m sure you’ll all understand yourselves and your near and dear ones much, much more.