The aim of the contest is to encourage people to give a home to the stray dogs who need one - rather than opt only for pedigree dogs who are often the product of an inhumane breeding industry, PETA says.
A plump brown mongrel with deep, dark eyes called Bambi is officially the cutest Indian dog of the year.
She was picked the winner in an annual contest organised by PETA or People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
Four years ago, this pampered pet was a stray puppy roaming the streets of Basavanagudi in Bengaluru.
Her owner, Aishwarya Radhakrishna, told NDTV, "Bambi found me on the street. She was extremely cute and had Bambi-like eyes - huge, very beautiful. She was very small - just a fistful and barely 10 days old."
"All you could see was her eyes. And the rest of her was just skeleton, skin and bone. We put her up for adoption, but her eyes were too affectionate and we couldn't let her go. We wanted to keep her with us as a part of the family. Now, I can't imagine a single day without her," she said.
Aishwarya, who is a dermatologist, even credits Bambi with helping her through her post-graduate studies.
Aishwarya's mother is Rita, an actor, is also a dog lover. "Now she is a treasure of our family. She is a treasure trove of love. We feed about 15, 20 stray dogs daily," she said.
The aim of the contest that Bambi won is to encourage people to give a home to the stray dogs who need one - rather than opt only for pedigree dogs who are often the product of an inhumane breeding industry, PETA says.
Aishwarya says she is all for adopting dogs off streets.
"Just pick up one. There are so many walking around. Why would you want to purchase one - they are not vegetables. I can't tell you the amount of joy they give in your life. They are healthy, robust and even the veterinary care is minimum," she said.
Recently, dog lovers were horrified by stories of mass killing of street dogs in Kerala. Bambi, and others like her, are a reminder that there are some who remember that dogs can be our best friends.