7 Welfare Activists Share How They Help Animals During the Lockdown

The lockdowns have left many animals bereft of food, companionship, and care. Cosmo India spoke to 7 animal crusaders from all over India who have come forward to help our voiceless friends. 

20 March, 2024
7 Welfare Activists Share How They Help Animals During the Lockdown

While this has been a period of immense loss and grief for humans, the animals around us have also had to suffer due to the ramifications of Covid-19. According to reports, many animals have been stranded without food, water, and medical assistance...and, in some cases, by their human parents. Luckily, there are some animal-friendly organisations and individuals who have come forward to help out voiceless friends. Cosmo spoke to these heroes, to learn about the commendable work they have been doing during the pandemic.

Delhi

Geeta Seshmani-President, Friendicoes 

“The lockdowns, both this year and the last, have left many animals bereft of food, companionship, and the security of kind, caring hands that feed them. During the first lockdown, many pets were abandoned as there were rumours that animals spread COVID-19 (not true, by the way). But in the second wave, there was a huge loss of human life, and the tragic circumstances of death forced many homes to give up their pets. This was truly traumatising. The pandemic was akin to being in a disaster zone, and we, at Friendicoes, realised that from Day One. Hence, even in March 2020, we didn’t close our hospitals or clinics, and kept up veterinary services, albeit for shorter working hours and with strict COVID-19 protocols in place. And since then, against all odds, we have continued to function as usual, to help distressed animals and hit-and-run cases. In addition, we also took on a massive street-animals feeding challenge." 

Freindicos Delhi

"When the lockdown was introduced last year, we received hundreds of desperate appeals from animal lovers, to feed the community stray dogs. And in just one month, we went from feeding 200 to 1,200 street dogs, across New Delhi and Noida. We also fed monkeys and nilgais, and provided fodder for around 150 working equines that were stranded in Okhla and Ajmeri Gate. Then came about 100-odd cows, across Delhi NCR, who were all left with nothing to scavenge since the wholesale vegetable markets were closed. Our team would take truckloads of green fodder for them every day, till the markets opened up. In the second wave, we resumed the feeding, and at present, we are looking after 2,000 dogs and cats, along with providing weekly ration for the working equines. Friendicoes employees are our heroes. They work 10-12 hours a day...our boys start cooking from 4 am, distributing the food till late evening, along with bringing back any sick or injured animals. Our vets are just as admirable, always there to help distressed, needy animals.”

Vaishali Sharma-Founder and Trustee, Fun and Fur

“Until last year, I fed over 50 strays daily. That number grew rapidly to more than 350 when the lockdown was announced. In the past year, Fun and fur has provided more than 1.5 lakh meals and vaccinated and neutered over 500 animals. We have also been educating people about Indie dogs, and have successfully managing to get about more than 100 adopted."

Fun and Fur

"Our goal is to try to feed as many animals as possible, and to ensure that, we have also been extending help to individuals who want to take care of animals, but
can’t afford to buy food for them. Another crucial step we have taken is to make people aware of their rights as animal activists. Taking care of hundreds of strays is not easy, but I love working for all these babies. I strongly believe that if people start following the ‘each one, feed one’ philosophy, no animal would be left hungry again.”

Bengaluru

Rajani Badami-Trustee, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action 

I feel humans and domestic animals are mutually reliant on one another, and the pandemic has wreaked havoc on both. Stray animals are left starving, too, and even the ones foraging from homes now face hostile conditions. Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) has been working for animals in distress for the past 30 years. Given the current situation, we took it upon ourselves to raise funds for the needy. And based on the donations received, CUPA launched a marathon programme to feed the strays last year, which is still going strong. We distribute cooked food in various localities, as well as offer it to local caregivers who are familiar with the dogs in their area."

CUPA

"Large animals, like cattle, are being given fresh maize stalks in areas where most of them congregate. We have also been distributing these stalks in nomadic communities, that live entirely on the alms they receive by walking decorated bulls on the roads. Many cart-drawing ponies, too, are left to fend for themselves as the owners are out of work. To alleviate their helplessness, we have been offering the owners bran flakes and horse gram, enough to feed their animals for at least a fortnight. CUPA also has a Large Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, which recently rescued Sally, a beautiful local-breed pony, and her newborn foal, Molly. Our team has also been consistently attending to various animal grievances across the city, and once a week, we spend the whole day at a shelter, tending to the animals there."

Anoopa Anand-Animal Welfare Worker

“Lockdowns mean sudden and prolonged lack of the usual food sources for animals, particularly dogs who, normally, stick to territories. But if they don’t find food at the sources they are habituated to, they will venture out in desperation. This leads to fights, disorientation, and an increase in accidents and injuries in unfamiliar areas. In order to help such animals in the pandemic, I collaborated with an NGO called Enablers United. And over the last year, we have been cooking for and feeding hundreds of community dogs. Last year, we even set up a system where people could call us in advance, tell us the number of dogs they’d like food for, and come pick up the food from our kitchen. This past month, I have been cooking for and feeding about 50-80 dogs in my neighbourhood."

Anoopa Anand
 

"Often, we have to deal with people being unhappy with community dog-feeding programmes. But it has been really heartening to see the opposite play out lately. At a time when we are seeing so many examples of the oppressive powerplay, selfishness, and greed in the world, it makes me happy that there are also people who truly care about helping."

Mumbai

Ganesh Nayak-Founder, Animals Matter To Me 

"At AMTM, we have been expanding our volunteer base through our feeding programmes, and by treating strays in need. With no people on the streets and strict norms on movement, we also sought support from local authorities. The AMTM team spends close to five hours every day cooking and feeding animals. The ones that require treatment are taken to the clinic by our volunteers or their rescuers. The best part of our day is seeing those wagging, welcoming tails, who, by now, recognise our van."

AMTM

"Our other special projects like Sea Turtle Conservation and Migratory Bird Protection also require deep commitment, which has only further intensified in the pandemic. VSPCA’s volunteers work 12 to 15 hours every day, all week long. During the sea-turtle season, the team barely gets any sleep, and members take turns to work, as the sea turtles arrive at night. The coastal mandals, villages, and farmers also turn to VSPCA in any animal emergencies. We are lucky to have a team of responsible animal lovers, who want to assist. We provide them with requisite training, essential medicines, and equipment."

Chennai

Tyag Krishnamurthy-Hon. Joint Secretary, Blue Cross of India

 "As the lockdown was announced last year, we, at Blue Cross of India (BCI), launched a street animal feeding programme the very next day. We called it Karuna, which means compassion in Sanskrit and Pali. By mid-May, 2020, we were cooking four batches of food every day—amounting to over 3,000 fresh meals daily—all done following strict hygiene, health, and safety protocols. By the end of the first phase of the programme, we had served more than one lakh meals to street animals, primarily dogs, but also to cats, cows, and horses.Initially, we fed animals ourselves, in non-residential localities, but soon realised that it wasn’t going to be feasible to cover the entire city with our limited personnel. So we created ‘Last Mile’—a network of citizen feeders. These volunteers became the backbone of the programme, also emerging as one of the best examples of community participation in the crisis. At one point, we had over 150 citizen feeders doing the legwork of feeding hungry strays".

Blue Cross of India

"During the recent lockdown, we launched Karuna--II. With an effective system in place from last year, we were able to quickly get it back together, activating the old network as well as adding a new set of 100+ citizen feeders. We’ve been delivering over 2,100 meals daily, along with continuously feeding over 1,800 shelter and hospital animals, and an additional 1,000 on the streets. We had already served 32,000 meals through Karuna--II, in just 15 days. Our citizen feeders have worked with us selflessly, yet again. Vignesh Sukumaran, in Tiruverkad—a 25-year-old engineer working as a sales executive in a private company—for instance, has fed about 10,000+ meals through Karuna--I and Karuna--II together. Devi Maragatham Chidambaranathan, a dentist from Ambattur, has distributed about 6,275 meals. The kindness of many other volunteers like them, and the support of our various donors and aides, has been immensely helpful.” 

"One must be compassionate to these voiceless souls, especially during these difficult times. They need us, and are, arguably, among the most vulnerable currently.”

Vishakhapatnam

Priya Tallam-President, Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals

"In urban Visakhapatnam, we work with about 1.34 lakh stray dogs. We have also seen a rise in the cases of pets being abandoned during the lockdown. During this period, Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals (VSPCA) took special permits to enter containment zones, to rescue animals. We also started a Mobile Ambulance Camp, which goes out every week, with a team of vets, paravets, animal handlers, etc, to educate the public, and treat strays in areas we receive maximum emergency calls from. Along with this, we’ve also rendered services like on-the-spot treatments; surveyed areas for old, disabled, and blind animals, for permanent sheltering; vaccinated and spayed dogs; and collated a list of volunteers who can stand in for us in certain situations."

VSPCA

"The lockdowns have left Many Animals bereft of food, companionship, and care...”

Coordinated By: Akansha Bahadur  

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