Priyanka Agarwal, a banker by profession, is passionate about dogs. A month ago, during one of her regular morning walks, she spotted a stray and fell for the pet.
"I fell in love the moment I saw her. I have named my pet ‘Princy’. Though I was a bit hesitant about having a stray dog as a pet but after talking to Veterinary doctor and getting some blood tests and vaccinations done for safety reasons, I got her home and it's been a wonderful experience ,"says Priyanka.
Like Priyanka, there are several passionate animal lovers in the Steel City, who increasingly feel the need to bring the stray home and adopt them. Rather than opting for a foreign breed, more and more people are adopting stray dogs in the city.
A senior functionary of Animal Help Foundation says, “There was a time when, owning a dog of a foreign breed was considered a matter of prestige, as for people in Jamshedpur adopting a stray dog has become a new trend.”
Animal Help Foundation, with support from Humane Society International and its other partners have been implementing humane street dog population management programme in Jamshedpur, since April 2014.
They even celebrate World Dog Lover’s Day and World Rabies Week in Jamshedpur to create awareness about dogs and gave free vaccinations to street dogs. “ During our campaign we found that people are unaware about issues regarding street dogs and had no access to information about it and these workshops could fill that gap. We realised that along with sterilization and vaccination, such awareness campaigns and workshops can make Jamshedpur a more dog-friendly city,” said the senior functionary.
Canine expert Charandeep Singh of Doggie Oye in Bistupur says, “ Street dogs have caught the fancy of the denizens. A lot of people are picking up stray dogs for adoption since they are becoming more conscious that strays also require love and care besides just having a shelter."
He informs that those adopting such dogs regularly come to his shop to seek guidance.
He said that with several celebrities like actor Sunny Leone recently supporter a cause titled "Be an Angel for Animals! Adopt a Dog From the Street or a Shelter".
Such calls from celebrities too inspire people to adopt street dogs. Sunny wants to draw her fans' attention to the plight of dogs waiting in animal shelters for loving homes, as well as those suffering on the street.