The HUFT Adopted Crew: A journey of purpose and how we became family with streeties around our stores
At Heads Up For Tails, we have always believed that pets are family and we never negotiated on this one feeling. Over the years, this belief has grown into something more beautiful and tangible - with the adoption of over 200 street dogs and cats across our head office, warehouses, and 120+ stores in India. Each one of them has their own story and personality, and the most important - each of them have left a mark on HUFTians.
These pets didn’t just join HUFT. Whenever we grew with our retail stores in every city, we shared a space with the neighbourhood street animals that were there before us. In many ways, we believe that they have adopted us - by teaching us patience, team building, empathy, and the kind of joy that only comes from sharing love with someone who has known life on the streets.
How it all began…
Every journey has a beginning, and ours started with a single pet at one of our stores when we started. A black and white street dog found its way to our Chhatarpur store. He came over and stayed, and in just a day the team realised that giving care to a street animal was more than just a small act of kindness. That’s how we started with a purpose - of building a kinder world for animals. That first adoption brought a spark that has grown into the larger movement we see today.
Tony was among the first pets who adopted us at our Chhatarpur store and was a gentle soul with a personality of his own. Pooja Didi, one of the retail employees at the Chattarpur store, spotted him and welcomed him as a HUFTian. Over the years and until Tony was with us, he has done more than just warming our hearts. He, in his own way, inspired us to care for pets and street animals more compassionately than just a business.
Sharing everyday life with Tony taught our team to go above and beyond to build a kinder space for every animals in need, and become truly sensitive to their subtle ways of communicating - whether it was a paw in the air, nibbing, sounds produced while playing or in distress, and messages behind various forms of a wagging tail.
Tony has more impact in our lives than he will ever know. His story is proof of the transformative power of adopting a pet, and how one pet can change lives and give purpose to a community as a whole.
Senior, notorious, or specially-abled pets - we became home to all. No biases, no questions asked
From Tony, our HUFT Adopted Crew has grown into a wonderfully diverse group of over 200 dogs and cats across our corporate office and all our stores and warehouses in India. Some of the popular ones are: Pinky, Sultan, Shobha, Elsie, Chelsea, Kaali, Coconut, Sofie, Rasgulla & Gulgulla, Lassi, Loki, Orangie, Mowgli, Puploo, and more such adorable ones.
We are lucky to share our space with some senior pets who teach us the value of wisdom, patience, time, and resilience. Others are (cute) troublemakers who keep our teams on their toes, yet happy and energetic. And, some are specially-abled pets, showing strength and resilience that inspires everyone around them. But, each pet is unique, and every personality brings something special to HUFT that we can never forget.
Store teams going above and beyond
While we believe that caring for street animals comes with a lot of joy, it isn’t always easy with the commitment and uncertainty it comes with. But, every HUFTian, especially our store teams, have consistently gone the extra mile to ensure we are able to bring a positive impact in the lives of as many street animals as we can. Team members drop all their to-dos and drive across the city to get a pet to a vet appointment whenever needed, set up cosy corners with blankets and meals for rescued pets during harsh winters, clean a water bowl and fill it with clean drinking water everyday, pack homemade food for them, and everything in between. These are not only small acts of kindness but also acts of love, dedication, and commitment that reflect our belief that pets are family.
The best part - transforming people through acts of love
You would be surprised to know that many of our team members didn’t grow up around pets and were initially scared of street animals. But, when they joined HUFT, they also slowly and subtly joined us in caring for our adopted streeties and that’s where everything changed without any of us realising. So many staff members who once hesitated to touch a dog or cat now proudly adopt pets-in-need for their own homes. Many others who can’t bring home a pet have learned about simple acts of kindness, nutrition, body language, and behaviour in ways that go far beyond training manuals. Through these experiences, HUFTians are becoming not only pet people, but also better humans - more compassionate and connected to the world around them.
Team building through pet care
In addition to us being better human beings, our adoption initiative has also strengthened the bonds between our teams and taught us the importance of building it right. Understanding our customers and their pets’ unique needs with patience, , sharing joy when they see a pet live their best life, and standing up for animals in need and their caregivers alike has created a sense of community love and respect unlike any other. Caring for neighbourhood streeties has become a team-building exercise: one that brings purpose, pride, and warmth to every nook and corner of HUFT
Time to meet HUFT’s Adopted Crew
Now, we are excited to introduce our HUFT pets, where you can meet all 200+ of our pets across stores, head office, and warehouses. The page beautifully captures their stories, their personalities, the joy that they bring to our lives, and the love and care they receive from our teams.
Each pet reminds us every day of why we started this initiative and why we continue to grow it. They are more than just mascots; they are family, teachers, and loving companions - helping Heads Up For Tails and the HUFT Foundation live up to its purpose: to create a world where every human gets to experience the joy of raising a pet, and each pet and street animal are cared for, respected, and loved.
Pets are family…indeed!
At HUFT, every product we make, every initiative we take, and every adoption story we tell are guided by one belief: pets are family. Through the HUFT Adopted Crew, we celebrate not only the pets but also the people whose lives they have transformed. With them, we are building a community where street animals can lead safe, healthy, and happy lives, and where humans can become the caregivers and friends they deserve.
Because every small act of care makes a big difference.