Which Pandit did you consult?

“Hello aunty, this is milk and bread for the dogs. Please feed them. I need to leave for home”, said me.

“Pehlan mainu eh das, kehre pandit ne daseya tainu aive karn nu” (First, tell me which Pandit has asked you to do this), said her.

“Pandit?” I was shocked as well as a bit irritated with the question. But considering her age and her good deeds, I preferred the shocked expression while replying to her that there was no Pandit who suggested me to do that. But as all the aged Indian aunties are, they won’t really believe you that easily, especially when you’re speaking the truth.

I have always been kind to animals and loved them so dearly. Almost everyone who knows me well knows how much I love animals, especially dogs. I’ve always tried to help them as much as I can (at least my heart always wanted to help them). But a few days back I realized that I wasn’t actually doing anything for the meek living beings.

At that time, I felt a bit ashamed for I was too good at giving lectures to people about how they should help animals and be kind to them but my own contribution to helping them was nil. What was I doing for them except for feeling sorry?

 I used to feel sorry about the pathetic condition of the stray animals. I used to feel sorry about the bad luck of those puppies that closed their eyes forever just because they had no one to take care of them. And I did nothing but to feel sorry (apart from giving lectures to the people who said they hated dogs).

Then one day, I came across a Facebook Group ‘Indian Animal forum’. Only the name was enough to tempt me to join the group. When I joined, I started reading the posts from different people. They were the people (students, office workers, housewives etc) who were helping the stray animals in all the ways they could. Some of them were providing shelters for the strays. Some of them were feeding the strays while taking care of them at times when they get injured. Some of them were putting up the pictures of the puppies for adoption. At that time, there was just one thought that bubbled up in my mind – what am I doing?

Literally, I call myself a very big animal lover (attitude, you know) but I didn’t deserve to be called an animal lover. Just by feeling a bit sad by looking at the pathetic condition of those strays, you don’t become an animal lover. Just by hoping that there could be a way you could help them, you don’t become an animal lover. You become an animal lover when you actually start helping them.

And then I noticed a house near my rented apartment. There were so many strays sitting in that house and there was no one shooing them away. After noticing the same thing for a few days, I decided to go and talk and then I came to know that there was a lady who was quite fond of animals and she could not see all the dogs roaming around in the chilly winters and getting mowed by fast going vehicles etc. That’s why she decided to let the dogs live in her own house. There are 16 (10 adults + 6 newly born cutie pies) living at the lady’s house. She provides them food and shelter.

People in her neighborhood obviously hate her for she is providing shelter to the strays who obviously roam around the colony at day time. Those people probably think that if the lady hadn’t provided the shelter, the dogs wouldn’t have dwelled in the colony. But, I prefer not to comment on those neighborhood people (real animals).

When I came to know how she was trying to help, I decided to give my helping hand to her. I decided to take out a part of my pocket money (which would have been spent either in Dominoes or KFC) to feed those dogs as that lady isn’t in a very good economic condition so as to support the dogs with adequate amount of food. She does her best and I decided to help her a bit.

So, last to last Monday, I started with feeding those dogs while I used to come back from the training held in my college. I went there on Monday, Tuesday and due to some reasons (laziness) I didn’t go to feed those dogs on Wednesday. On Thursday, while I was leaving for home, I bought milk and bread for the dogs. And that made the lady more suspicious for why I missed Wednesday. LOL

I don’t think I would be able to convince her that there’s no Pandit suggesting me to feed those dogs (they don’t do it really). But still, it feels good to help them. Today, I bought a few new blankets for there are 6 newly born puppies that need protection from the cold weather.

It really feels good.

P.S. If you are also interested in helping the helpless stray animals, do contact me at my email id manpreetkaur.aiesec@gmail.com as I am looking for some like minded people so as to begin an adoption campaign in the city - Chandigarh