BENGALURU: Peeved with her husband over his refusal to keep pet dogs and cats at home, a 43-year-old model and beautician has sought for a divorce. The mother of a 16-year-old girl remained firm on her decision, though her husband decided to reconcile with her love for pets during mediation at the Bengaluru city police commissionerate recently, sources privy to the counselling sessions said.

Preeti married Sudeep, a businessman, in early 2002 and they settled down in Jayanagar. A pet lover, Preeti always had a few cats and dogs at home.

though was irritated with Preeti’s pets. The couple argued over the issue for years. As things kept simmering, the duo claimed they lived together only for their daughter’s sake.

“Tension between the couple reached a flashpoint in July when the man took serious offence to the four dogs and 12 cats she had at their house. Following an argument over the issue, Sudeep didn’t come home for days, stating that he would not have a morsel of food in a place where the pets lived,” said BS Saraswathi, senior counsellor with

, Vanitha Sahayavani family counselling centre at the police commissionerate.

Man got rid of dogs, cats

Things turned grave on July 28, when Sudeep forcibly took away the animals. He admitted the dogs to a shelter home and gave away the cats to some friends and relatives. “On learning about this, Preeti got furious. After remaining inconsolable and going without food for two days, she came to us in tears and filed a complaint,” Saraswathi, who was involved in counselling the couple, said.

Keen on continuing to live with Preeti, Sudeep regretted his actions. “But she was not willing to forgive him. She said he was not an animal lover and vehemently opposed her compassion towards canines and cats. Preeti claimed he had taken drastic steps to remove the animals from their home, possibly pushing some of them to live in pathetic conditions,” the senior counsellor recalled.

Preeti also accused her husband of being friendly with other women and giving them gifts secretly, and that the pet issue was only an excuse to quarrel with her at home.

The counselling sessions collapsed recently and the couple filed for divorce by mutual consent. Preeti is expected to claim the custody of her teenage daughter and is now in the process of bringing back her pets to reunite with them at her Jayanagar home, sans her husband.

(Names of the husband and wife have been changed)