MUMBAI:Actress and and ardent animal lover Richa Chadha finds it "idiotic" that people are abandoning pets due to the COVID-19 scare. She says just like there are stringent measures for adopting a child, the same should be done with pets.

Richa, who has always campaigned for "adopt and not shop" for pets and herself has cats at home, told IANS: "It's really idiotic. If somebody in your family gets COVID-19 will you throw them out? I think there should be a basic assessment of people's mental state before they go and (get animals home). Just like when you want to adopt a child, you have a lot of stringent measures to follow, similarly with an animal it should be the same, I think."

The actress, who has often voiced concern for stray animals on social media, cannot believe that people are abandoning pets in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Who the hell abandons animals? It's not about being an animal lover. You need to have humanity at a time like this. This time is teaching us to be in harmony with each other. The planet belongs to everybody, not just human beings. If human beings are going to overstep and behave like they are the kings of the planet, then nature will come down with all force and teach them a lesson or two," she said.

Richa urged everyone to stay in harmony with nature.

"Right now, the whole world has paused because of a micro-organism. Nature doesn't need us, we need nature. We are a part of it," she concluded.