Today is dussehra the festival which celebrates the victory of good over evil. The day when Lord Ram killed the demon Ravana.
Lord Ram fought Ravava with his army which consisted of monkeys and bears. And Ravana not had a single animal in his army. India through its holy scriptures has always advocated peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. But unfortunately now those values and ethos are disappearing.
All those who are killing, abusing and harassing the innocent voiceless souls are nothing but the incarnation of ravana in human form.
But there are still humane citizens of India who have kept the Indian ethos alive. One such lady is Geeta Dutta a teacher by profession. Now a 73 year old who is relentlessly taking care of stray dogs for the last 30 years. She stays in North Delhi and has been getting the dogs of her area sterilized and vaccinated with the help of NGOs and private Veterinary doctors like Dr Vijay. Till now she has sterilized more than 200 dogs and has been getting the area of her dogs vaccinated every year. She inculcated the same humane spirit in her daughter Smriti who is now in her 30s and works in a company. Smriti after marriage shifted to west Delhi and just like her mother started getting the area dogs sterilized and vaccinated. Both mother and daughter have spent money from their pockets for getting the dogs sterilized and immunized against rabies.
Smriti (+919654596483) has an 11 year old son who just like his grandmother and mother feeds the stray and considers them his best friend (Pic in the post).
For all the people of India who are killing dogs, poisoning dogs and relocating them by giving lame excuses like stray dogs are a threat to their children and old parents should learn something from this family who from three generations have been serving stray dogs witnout any fear or hesitation. For them indian stray dog is neither rabid nor dirty. It is their best friend who only deserves love.
Gaurav (+917838968443) who has a masters degree from London and who worked in the corporate sector both in London and India gave up his job in the year 2012 just because he couldn't see the plight of stray dogs living in the most unimaginable and inhuman condition in East Delhi where he lived. He decided to change their life and like a true change maker he brought a revolutionary change in Delhi. He along with his group of friends Pallavi (a journalist) and Monika ( working in an IT company) started getting the dogs of his area sterilized and vaccinated. It's been now 10 years and Gaurav and his friends have touched lives of hundreds of dogs. Gaurav with the help of CGS Gurgaon has been able to get more 1200 dogs vaccinated in Delhi NCR. CGS has been carrying out the rabies vaccination drive for free in various parts of Dehi NCR for the last two years.
All these individuals are neither working in any animal welfare NGO nor related to the animal husbandry dept or the municipal corporation. These are the humane citizens of India who just couldn't see the plight of stray dogs and so came out on the streets to solve the problem of stray dogs. It is because of people like them that the ABC program is successful to some extent and Delhi NCR is becoming canine rabies free.
Just like Geeta, Smriti, Gaurav, Pallavi and Monika there are many more unsung heroes who are working relentlessly for the stray dogs. They are getting them sterilized and vaccinated but their contribution is neither acknowledged nor appreciated. They are the heroes of India, who are often abused and ridiculed and portrayed as villains by the masses.
Anyhow the Kerala massacre of the man's best friend which happened just a few weeks ago acted as a catalyst in uniting these heroes. They came together to fight for their friends. They decided that enough was enough and it's time to show the world how ABC program can be done in a humane and systematic manner and how through vaccination of dogs that too through its caregivers we can easily achieve the goal of making Delhi NCR canine rabies free. And to support their movement was PFA Trustee Ambika Shukla, CGS Gurgaon, Rakshan Trust, Max Vet, veterinarians like Dr. Anoop Pandey and more than 40 animal welfare NGOs and organizations.
They started their movement by a protest for Kerala dog massacre on 24th September 2022 at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi. This time they received ample support from the media. Leading newspapers like Hindustan Times and Times of India covered the protest.
https://www.pressreader.com/india/ht-city/20220927/281672553815307
On 1st October 2022 again a protest rally for Kerala dog massacre was held by the humane citizens of India at Bangalore. This was organized by Tarun Bangel the Head of PFA, Bangalore.
Yet again on 2 Oct 2022 the birth anniversary of the father of the nation, the unsung heroes came together at Rajghat (place where Mahatma Gandhi was cremated) to pay their tribute and to start their third campaign of mass vaccination and feeding drive for the street dogs which ends on 9th Oct 2022. In this 7 day campaign the caregivers will get their respective dogs vaccinated against rabies. The vaccination drive has already taken place in West Delhi and East Delhi where till now more than 200 dogs have been vaccinated. The vaccines and the vets were sponsored by CGS, SGACC and Rakshan Trust. On 6, 8 and 9 Oct there will be vaccination drive in North Delhi, Noida, South Delhi and Central Delhi.
Within just a week's time with the help of the caregivers, NGOs and private veterinarians Delhi NCR will be able to vaccinate atleast 500 dogs. These dogs are those who are regularly fed by their caregivers and it is they who will be helping them in their vaccination.
Let's hope this opens the eyes of the MCD officials, the govt veterinarians and all those people who think dog is a menace and a threat to our children and society.
It is human menace which is responsible for uncontrolled dog population and dogs biting humans and not vice versa.