Hyderabad has several people who can’t stand the sight of a stray dog. Then there are those who go out of their way to do everything they can to help animals. Take for instance Padma, her two children Kaivalya and Kalyan Chakravarty and another animal-lover Vinay Kumar. They don’t just adopt mongrels who are in dire need of medication and some, who are even terminally ill, but also provide them with food, and most importantly, love.
Padma’s family owns two cats and 11 dogs, many of whom were on their death beds. They’ve got more than 100 dogs in their locality vaccinated and sterilised. Their large backyard has even been visited by more than 50 sparrows and crows, most of who have been treated by them.
“It all started 10 years ago when we saw a dog with a bad skin disease in front of our house. We contacted Blue Cross and got help, they treated the animal, and since then, we brought him home and took care. Soon, we took in more such dogs,” says Kaivalya.
While Vinay Kumar, a 30-year-old who cares for over 50 dogs in Chengicherla and pays for the vaccination of other street dogs out of his pocket, says, “The area that we live in doesn’t come under GHMC’s jurisdiction and nothing is done about the street dogs here. So, I have taken up the responsibility,” he says.
Kaivalya adds, “We used to live in Ramanthapur before, but the neighbours had a problem with us housing so many dogs, so we relocated. The new house was constructed keeping in mind the animals, giving them enough space,” she says.
The family takes in different kinds of dogs. Kaivalya adds, “One dog was very ferocious and people in the colony were planning to put him down, so we took him in. Another dog was affected with cancer. The doctors said that we could try saving him, but the chances were very slim. We got the treatment done, but because of the chemotherapy, his limbs were affected. There was also a cat that was attacked and broke its spinal cord. The doctors said nothing could be done, so we took him in and cared for him till he passed away.”
Interestingly, the same neighbours who initially complained when the family moved to Ghatkesar, now come to them for help if they find a wounded animal.
These four don’t get any monetary help from any one. They do all of this out of their love for the animals. And, they don’t mind it. Kaivalya says, “There is no one to care for them, and we couldn’t just let them be. So we gladly stepped in. When we can afford to take care of them, then why not?”
