Sonyaa Ayoddhya on wanting to stay long enough to create safe haven for street dogs: 'Not to save them but..'

Actress Sonyaa Ayoddhya, known for her roles in television and film, has a longstanding personal interest in the welfare of stray animals, particularly dogs.

“My love for dogs knows no bounds,” she says. “Every time I see a dog on the street, I find myself talking to them genuinely talking as if they understand me completely. And the beautiful part is... I truly believe they do. There’s a certain way they look at you, a softness in their eyes, a quiet knowing. It’s more than instinct. It’s connection.”

Ayoddhya has spoken about her future plans involving animal care. “One day, I want to own a large piece of farmland,” she says. “Not as a luxury for me, but as a sanctuary for them. I imagine open fields where every stray dog can run freely, have a name, feel safe, and sleep every night with a warm belly and a sense of belonging. I want them to know they matter. That they’re loved not rescued out of pity, but offered a home out of sheer devotion.”

Every time I see a dog on the street, I find myself talking to them genuinely talking as if they understand me completely. And the beautiful part is... I truly believe they do. There’s a certain way they look at you, a softness in their eyes, a quiet knowing. It’s more than instinct. It’s connection.

- Sonyaa Ayoddhya

She also expresses a belief in the emotional awareness of animals. “Dogs, to me, are the most emotional, loyal, and intuitive souls I’ve ever known,” she says. “They feel everything your energy, your pain, your joy and respond with a kind of unconditional love that’s hard to find in this world. Animals, in general, are a gift to humankind. They weren't just created to exist alongside us. They were sent here to teach us how to love without expectation, how to heal through presence, and how to remain grounded in a chaotic world.”

Ayoddhya connects her views to spiritual beliefs. “If you just look closely, every deity we pray to is symbolically or literally associated with an animal,” she says. “This isn’t just mythology it’s a sign. Animals are sacred. They’ve always been. The universe speaks through them. We just have to be quiet enough to listen.”

She adds, “Animals deserve the same love, reverence, and compassion that we so easily give to humans. Sometimes even more because they give without asking, they forgive without words, and they love without limits. I pray I live long enough to create that haven for them. Not to save them but to honour them. To make sure every dog on the street knows what it feels like to be cherished.”

Ayoddhya continues to advocate for animal welfare and has shared her intentions to establish a shelter for stray dogs in the future.