Tinnu Anand Defends Himself After Uproar Over Stray Dog Comment; Karishma Tanna Slams Him As ‘Inhuman’

Tinnu Anand has found himself at the centre of a growing controversy after a strongly worded WhatsApp message he reportedly sent about stray dogs in his residential society surfaced online.

Tinnu Anand offered a clarification saying the message came from a place of frustration and personal concern.

Source : IMdb

Veteran actor Tinnu Anand has found himself at the centre of a growing controversy after a strongly worded WhatsApp message he reportedly sent about stray dogs in his residential society surfaced online. The 80-year-old actor is now facing severe criticism — and even a police complaint — for threatening to confront the dogs with a hockey stick.

The situation escalated when a resident of his Versova society, Aanchal Chaddha, formally lodged a complaint against the actor. As per a Hindustan Times report, she asked the authorities to intervene in the matter following his disturbing message that many have deemed hostile and threatening toward animals.

What did Tinnu Anand write?

In the viral message, Anand allegedly wrote, “Have come back after a horrifying shoot to be greeted by terrifying dogs barking and not knowing who to bite next… Challenge taken. Have a hockey stick to face them… am warning all dog lovers hereon… take them home OR then face my wrath… my society is given advance notice.”

Karishma Tanna reacts to Tinnu Anand's message

This message quickly drew widespread backlash from animal lovers and celebrities alike. Among the voices calling out the actor was television and film actress Karishma Tanna, who expressed her disappointment through a social media post. She wrote, “To all those animal haters supporting this veteran actor. It’s heartbreaking and shameful to see people supporting violence against innocent dogs — and even worse, threatening to harm them. This isn’t just inhuman, it’s a complete failure of empathy. Animals can’t speak, but we can — and we must. If you find joy in hurting or hating those who only know love and loyalty, it says more about your darkness than theirs.”

Tinnu Anand defends his statement

In response to the criticism, Tinnu Anand offered a clarification in a conversation with Free Press Journal, saying the message came from a place of frustration and personal concern.“This is absolutely what I meant because my daughter has broken her wrist and she’s been treated for the last month, and it cost me ₹90,000 for her to be operated on twice now. Her pet dog was attacked by three stray dogs in our society, and in trying to save her dog, she fell and broke her wrist,” he explained.

He went on to question the approach of those who feed and care for stray animals in the area. “I want to talk to these dog lovers. If they doubt these dogs so much, they feed them, they look after them, then why not put a leash on them? Ask the convenience store near the society — his delivery man has been attacked twice, and now they have stopped delivering because they don’t want to be attacked by the dogs.”

Anand also defended his right to protect himself, especially given his age. “I’m 80 years old, and if any dog attacks me, I have every right to defend myself. That is what I meant. That is what these people should have understood anyway. Everyone’s got diuretic fingers, you know, moving towards the mobiles, typing away messages, which is fine with me because I’m ignoring it completely, because I know what I have written,” he said. “This is not the first case where dogs have attacked. There are so many cases when these incidents have happened. It’s not to attack dogs, it’s just to defend myself, and I have every right to.”