Mumbai, Dec 13 (IANS): Actor Dino Morea feels calm and de-stressed when he is with his two pets and urges people to treat them as family rather than abandoning them when not needed.

"I have always been an ardent lover of pets, ever since I was 5 years old. Pets can change a person's life in a positive manner. I feel calm and de-stressed when I play with my two pets - a Labrador, Maximus and an Indian dog, Ganpat.

"They are part of our family and deserve our attention and care and as a responsible pet parent one should ensure pet's health and protect it from any kind of abuse and cruelty. One should treat pets as companions and not abandon them in their time of need," Dino told IANS.

"In our daily hustle bustle, we tend to forget our little bundles of joy," added Dino who is also a brand ambassador of pet festival Pet Fed that is scheduled to take place in Mumbai.

The event debuts in Mumbai at MMRDA Grounds at BKC on December 16 and 17 where over 3000 pets will be seen performing at fashion show and talent hunt activities.

"We're really excited for our debut in Mumbai. We have a lot of cool things in store for all the animal lovers this year, including India's first ever talent show for pets called Pet's Got Talent. And a world record attempt for the biggest gathering of pets in the world," said Akshay Gupta, Founder of Pet Fed.