National Animal Rights Day: Volunteers bond with rescued dogs at Delhi NCR shelters

Sunday turned out to be a special day for Sultan, a three-year-old retired police Doberman, who has been patiently waiting for a loving family at the Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre. Out from the gloomy confines of a shelter home, Sultan and his furry friends ventured out with a volunteer Ashima, who works in the IT sector, for a fun-filled adventure which included a long walk, massage, pampering and lots of treats. The occasion was National Animal Rights Day, organised by India Unites for Animal Rights (IUFAR) – a group of voluntary animal welfare organisations. The day is organised on the first Sunday of June to raise awareness about the rights of animals. Sultan, who was discharged from duty about three months ago due to bladder stones, has since been treated and is now in good health. Contrary to the typical perception of a Doberman, Sultan is a friendly and affectionate dog, still searching for the perfect home that can provide him with the attention and exercise he needs. Other rescued dogs staying at 20 shelters in Delhi-NCR, too, were in for a surprise when volunteers like Ashima bonded with these canines spending their life at these centres. ''For many volunteers, it was their first-time visit to a shelter, and they were both moved and enthused by the experience. They had not expected the levels of suffering they saw, the levels of care being given, and most of all, the enormous opportunity for them to make a difference,'' a statement from IUFAR said.

Most of the dogs at these shelters are picked up from the street who are either sick or injured or abandoned by their families, Ambika Shukla, trustee for People For Animals (PFA), said. ''We need to encourage more people to visit and adopt from shelters. Instead of buying dogs and supporting the cruelty of breeding, why not adopt a dog for free,'' she said. Many volunteers found the interaction with dogs a therapeutic experience, Smita Joshi of Janm Foundation in Gurugram said. ''For us at the shelter, it was a blessing to have extra working, caring, helping hands, and it was sheer joy for the dogs. Overall, a win-win,'' Joshi said. Shelter homes have dogs with burns, wounds, loss of limbs, paralysis, blindness, and permanent handicaps.

''Most people never realise the effort and care that goes into the cleaning, treating, caring for and feeding of such large patient numbers with more coming in each day,'' IUFAR said. Shelters such as Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre, Niti Jeev Ashray Welfare Trust, Friendicoes, Sonadi, PetMumma Animal Care Centre, Perroayuda Recovery Centre in Delhi, Earthlings Trust, Kannan Animal Welfare, Nishabd, House of Stray Animals, Posh Foundation, Goldy's Heaven Foundation, Abbo Foundation in Noida, People For Animals, Voice of Voiceless, Janm Foundation, Karma Animal Foundation in Gurugram and Faridabad participated in the event. Seeing the enthusiastic response to the event, IUFAR plans to formalise such interaction into a regular weekend shelter volunteer programme.

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