3 min readNew DelhiFeb 25, 2026 11:00 PM IST
Director-choreographer Remo D’Souza has a long-standing reputation as a proud animal lover, with a household full of furry friends. On The Happy Pawdcast, the artiste once recalled a rather hilarious memory involving an unexpected pet. Remo recalled that one day after returning from school, he saw a group of what he thought were puppies near a drain and decided to bring one home.
“I kept my bag and crawled into the nala, pulled one and got him in the house and gave him a bath,” he said.
Excitedly, he waited for his parents to come home, confident he had succeeded in his quest for a new pet. But the big reveal came when his mother invited his father inside.
“Mom said, ‘Aapka beta kuch lekar aaya hai. (your son has brought something)’ Dad said, ‘Kya laya hai? (what has he brought),’ and I said it’s a puppy. Mom said show the puppy, and my dad told me, ‘Yeh lomdi (fox) ka baccha hai!’” Remo recalled.
Why is it common for people to mistake this species for puppies?
To his surprise — and perhaps embarrassment — the “puppy” he had bathed and proudly presented was actually a fox cub, a wild animal quite unlike the domestic dogs he adored.
But little Remo can’t be blamed for this confusion! Dr Vinod Sharma, CEO and Director, DCC Animal Hospital, tells indianexpress.com that people might misunderstand fox pups for puppies, because of their structural similarities.
In fact, a 2017 BBC report documents a real case in which rescuers mistook a week-old fox cub for an abandoned puppy because of its appearance, supporting anecdotal reports of resemblance at that early stage.
But there are also a few signs that’ll help you differentiate between the two. “Foxes have a narrow, pointy snout, while dogs usually have broader faces,” Dr Sharma points out while adding that the pupils also have basal differences — foxes have cat-like slit ones and dogs have round. Fox’s bushier tail with a white tip can also be a cue.
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Can you actually pet a fox?
Nevertheless, upon learning the truth about his new pal, Remo didn’t simply abandon him. The choreographer kept the fox for a couple of years, caring for it as it grew, before eventually releasing it back into the wild. Sadly, however, it is not allowed.
According to Dr Sharma, it is “strictly illegal” because foxes are a protected species. So if you got inspired by Remo to house a fox, it might not be such a good idea! Plus, you’ll be violating the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which can invite hefty fines and even imprisonment in certain cases!
Remo might have had to give up his friend from the wild, but today he and his wife, Lizelle, are pet parents to a loving menagerie that includes four dogs — Ice, Snow, Crypto and Cooper — and two cats, showing their lifelong affection for animals of all kinds.
