India, Aug. 26 -- A week before her debut film Operation Romeo (2022) released, Vedika Pinto got an unexpected stress buster: Benji. On International Dog Day today, the actor recalls how her four-year-old goldendoodle changed life at home and eventually won over even her "strictly anti-dogs" mother. "My brother saw how anxious I was because of the release. He convinced our mother, who had been 'strictly anti-dogs', that I needed a stress buster. The plan worked." Her mother is now one of Benji's biggest fans. "There is nobody who is more obsessed with Benji than my mom." Living with Benji, Pinto says, also taught her the responsibility that comes with pet parenting. "They need to be walked, they need to be fed, they need to be looked after, especially when they are not feeling well. You get so emotionally attached to them. They are babies, and it's a lot of hard work." The experience has also made her want to welcome another dog into her life, this time through adoption. The 30-year-old, recently seen in the much-talked about web series Musafir Cafe, says Benji has also taught her to slow down. "He has taught me is that I have the ability to be present." she says. His demands, however, remain very clear. "Earlier when we used to come back, he used to welcome us with hugs and cuddles. Now he goes straight to the suitcase to see what's in it for him." Pinto also laments the lack of open, pet-friendly spaces in Mumbai. "It's so sad because we don't have extensive areas or parks and gardens to walk them. Many of them don't allow dogs," she says, adding that what she hopes for is "a little compassion" for dogs on the street....