Govt, municipal authorities must come to their aid
A small fenced area in the interior of the Danapur-Khagaul Road in Patna is home to dogs with special needs and serious medical conditions—by all accounts, the only one in the capital city of Bihar. Three of them are with a missing front or back leg, a couple of them paralytic, many are recovering from surgery or post-surgical complications, and some have behavioural issues. But nearly all of them have cheerful, inquisitive faces, and are surrounded by an incredible love aura.
Their two caregivers are young adults, barely out of their teens: 22-year-old Varsha and 23-year-old Ashish. Between them, they handle the entire gamut of operations that running a facility entails. Their foundation, Aap, was set up in July 2021, but they have been feeding and protecting homeless cats, dogs, and cows with an unmatched passion for a long time.
Varsha reminisces, “We belong to very modest homes, but we tried to save whatever we could to feed and take care of strays who were part of our ecosystem. During Covid our work increased. We picked up several injured and sick animals and took them to private vets for treatment, often at exorbitant rates.”
She continues, “We also began fostering dogs which needed sustained care and medical attention, many of whom were living with open, festering wounds on the streets, without any shelter, or human contact. ”
Ashish tells me the story of eight-year-old Monty, a beautiful indie dog who now lives at their shelter. When Monty was rescued, he had a broken spinal cord. He was probably hit by a passing vehicle. It was not just his spine that was a problem. His feet had open lesions that were infested with maggots. Ashish took him home, cleaned up the open wounds with chloroform, and extracted hundreds of maggots manually, before taking him to Dr Amresh Kumar, an accomplished and deeply empathetic vet in Kankarbagh. One of Monty's legs was amputated.
The shelter also takes care of abandoned pets like Sundari, a black Labrador, who was found tied to a pole near the Patna Veterinary College a few months ago. She was thirsty, hungry, and a bundle of nerves when Pallav Shekhar, a doctor at the Veterinary College spotted her. After giving her some water and food, he contacted Varsha and Ashish and asked them to move her to their shelter.
“An abandoned dog battles with hosts of insecurities”, says Varsha. “Sundari too had behavioural issues, but has overcome them, and has begun trusting humans again. Her somewhat sad, pick-me eyes seem to plead to be taken home. People who leave their pets when their finances are stretched, or for some other reason, must realise that their pets are sentient beings who suffer when abandoned.”
The challenges of running the foundation are many. The registration process has hit a roadblock. Fundraising too has been a daunting task. “We need to educate people to care for the animals in their neighbourhood. Every area should have designated feeding spots with water bowls. We also need many more shelters and homes for animals with medical conditions, special needs, and neonates,” Varsha says.
“Why is the government not stepping in? The municipal authorities need to sterilise dogs and cats and vaccinate them against rabies. Everyone should have access to a working helpline to report cases of acute animal distress and abuse. We ferry injured animals in rickshaws and autos. What about ambulances? Should they not be available,” she asks.These questions need urgent answers.(The author is a former civil servant and a crusader for animal rights)