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Compassion At Work: This Kolkata Team Is Independently Working To Give Stray Dogs A Healthy Life

At a time when Kolkata is witnessing widespread protests against atrocities towards dogs, a group of people in a small area of South Kolkata are spreading positivity by helping these animals lead a peaceful life. We are not registered with any NGO. We get nothing in return for what we do. Their effort to do something good for stray dogs comes only from their love for these animals. Supritam Basu and Sandeep Hore have formed an independent organization called ‘Feeding Animals’ and are working day in and day out for the welfare of stray dogs. From feeding over a hundred dogs.

Feeding  “We ensure that none of the dogs in our locality sleep with their stomachs empty. We are not registered with an NGO and we do not do any of this expecting a return. We do it because we love doing it and because these dogs are no less than our children,” Sandeep said in a conversation with Supritam. For more than 100 dogs, these people prepare the food at their homes. All of them are dog lovers and happened to meet each other on some occasion or the other. Before they had met, they individually did what they could for strays, but being a team now, they have found more strength to engage in their work.

“From just four or five dogs, we started feeding 10 and then 20. Today, we cater to more than 100 dogs. I work in an office from 10 AM to 7 PM, following which I continuously go around feeding, dogs in the locality. My schedule is hectic, but I enjoy my work,” Sandeep said. “When you go around feeding so many dogs every day, it is only natural that you come across several of them with wounds with cuts. They live on the streets, fight with each other and often get deep cuts. We are constantly dressing the wounds. We all have worked at home or office, but we have become so passionate about our work that nothing matters now,” said Sandeep. The group has several stories of rescue and adoption. Mani, a puppy, was found badly injured and fighting for her life when they found her on the corner of a street. She was rescued, given the best medication, and today, she has found a loving, caring home. “On many occasions, we have lost our babies. There have been instances when we could not help them, but we have always done enough. We have always put in all the effort we could gather,” said Supritam. Sandeep, who is a businessman, said  “Initially, when I began accompanying the doctors who help our group, I could not tolerate all the blood and wounds. They would make me sick in the stomach. But in those moments, the utmost urge to do something to stop their pain overpowers the sickness. 

Doctors Raya Sarkar and Shashank Tripathi assist in the treatment. They have been a constant support to the group. Nilu, a pup who is a bundle of joy, suffered a horrific wound which was caused most probably by someone in the locality who was irritated by his presence. “We do not know how it happened, but we suspect someone tried to hurt him. He would have died, but we stayed up entire nights dressing his wound and staying with him until he slept. All our efforts bore fruit. Today, he is healthy and as fresh as a lily,” Sandeep said. 

Where does the money come from? 

Not being registered with an NGO, the group gets no funds. All the money that goes into the food and treatment is raised by the group themselves. Some neighbors help; one of them, Sarbani Sen, sponsors the medicines every month. “Working for a good cause, we raise the money on our own. We spend such a lot of money on clothes and at restaurants, why not do something for the ones who really need it? Most of our hard-earned money goes into the treatment and food for the dogs, but I believe we could not have utilized it any better,” Sandeep said.

No matter how hard they try, there is undoubtedly a limitation when it comes to funds. There is practically nobody to help them. “That is the reason we are restricted to a comparatively smaller area. We want to extend our help to animals living beyond the area we cater to, but for that, we would need more help. In the end, we are just a team of two people,” Supritam said.

 Sandeep, however, had something different to say. “Yes, as a group we are small and do not have enough money to cater to larger areas. But individually, I help dogs in every area of our locality. I do not do anything else. 24 hours of my day go into helping these helpless creatures. I just wait for a call from any part of the city, and I run to them,” he said. This group, however, has connections with an NGO, members of which actually take personal care to sterilize the dogs. “I have myself been a part of the sterilization process, and they take care of the dogs as if they were their children. In the hands of other organizations, we somehow do not feel safe enough. I have faced a lot of criticism with people saying it is inhuman, that it harms the normal sexual life of an animal, and yet the same people complain about dogs overpopulating. My question to them is, what do you do then? If you want to control the population and yet do not support sterilization, do you think what happened at NRS is justified?

 It is important that we control their population, the major reason being the abuse they have to suffer at the hands of cruel people. If there is overpopulation, will everyone come forward and feed, vaccinate and treat them? They will die anyway. You may not be a dog lover, but at least don’t harm them,” Sandeep said.