Sidharth Malhotra poses with Shanti

Sidharth Malhotra poses with Shanti

Posing with his pal Shanti from The Welfare of Stray Dogs, Sidharth Malhotra stars in a brand-new ad for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. Malhotra wants his legions of adoring fans to know that by spaying or neutering (sterilising) their dogs and cats, they'll be saving the lives of countless unwanted puppies and kittens.

"The number of animals - dogs and cats - there are far more than the demand for them, and it's tough to find a good home for them", said Malhotra, who took time out of his busy schedule to sit down for an exclusive PETA interview "What you give is what you get back. So I think just be good to animals."

Spaying and neutering are routine, affordable surgeries that can prevent thousands of animals from being born, only to suffer and struggle to survive on the streets, be abused by cruel or neglectful people or end up in animal shelters for lack of a loving home. Just one unaltered female dog and her offspring can produce 67,000 puppies in only six years. In seven years, one female cat and her offspring can produce 370,000 kittens. Spaying eliminates the stress and discomfort that females endure during heat periods and greatly reduces the risk of mammary cancer. Neutering makes males far less likely to roam or fight.

The ad was shot by ace photographer Pavitr Saith. Malhotra's hair was done by Ali for Hakim's Aalim, and his make-up was by Rizwan Shaikh.