Providing stray dogs a safe haven

Paladugu Sujatha and her retired husband Babu Rao lost both their sons to the Uttarakhand floods last year and had almost lost hope in their future after the tragedy. It was after a chance encounter that they got the idea of tending to stray dogs with injuries and skin diseases. Initially, the couple started off with a dog which had suffered injuries after it was run over by a vehicle. Their rented rescue home now houses as many as 34 stray dogs.

Sujatha said, “One day I found a dog trying to move about but its hind legs were injured. I ran to its rescue. After taking care of it, I found another dog with a similar problem. That is when we thought of helping stray animals that are deprived of food, shelter and care.’’

The dogs in the rescue home are fed biscuits and milk for breakfast, curd rice or buttermilk rice for lunch and dinner.

They are given meat on Wednesdays and Sundays. A veterinary doctor visits the rescue home once a month to provide necessary medical assistance to the dogs suffering from skin diseases and other ailments.

“There are problems with the rented house, which is currently being used as a rescue home for the stray dogs. We are looking for a permanent shelter to keep them. We hope that dog lovers and NGOs will extend help in our endeavour to provide a good shelter to the dogs,” she added.

By: Ch Sowmya Sruthi