Vegan Anderson takes non-leather shoes from India

NEW DELHI - Apart from saris, suits and Indian spices, former “Baywatch” star Pamela Anderson, a strict vegan, also took away a bagful of non-leather shoes made by Indian designer Rina Shah, back home to the US.

During her short visit to India for reality show “Bigg Boss 4″, Anderson took out time to arrange a variety of vegan shoes to be brought to her in Lonavala.

Anderson loved Shah’s leather-free shoes so much that she took a suitcase full of them back with her, says a source.

Shah’s label, Rinaldi Designs, is popular for shoes, belts and bags made of non-leather material. Earlier this year, Shah also gave a pair of vegan shoes to Hollywood star and animal activist Natalie Portman in celebration of the actor’s 29th birthday.

Like Shah, Anderson is a longtime supporter of People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and animal rights. She even wrote a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urging him to ban leather trade in India.