Caring for thirsty birds and beasts with water bowl initiative

The city's sweltering heat is turning a nightmare for animals with many falling prey to dehydration and fatigue.

However Sunny Jain, an animal lover, is helping them beat the heat through his Water Bowl Initiative that facilitates the distribution of water bowls to volunteers across the city.

For the third straight year, Sunny and his team have helped thousands of animals and birds quench their thirst through water bowls installed in various parts of the city.

Speaking about his initiative, Jain says, "I was disturbed to see animals suffering from dehydration due to lack of water in summer. Three years ago, I was alone and would go door to door to distribute these water bowls. Today, this has turned into a community-driven project with more people coming forward to install water bowls and do their bit for animals."

The water bowls have been installed at various places in Jayanagar, HSR Layout, Banashankari, Whitefield, Yeshwantpur, Rajarajeshwarinagar, J P Nagar and Kalasipalayam.

In each of these places, a volunteer has been given the responsibility of distributing water bowls to interested people.

The water bowls come in different shapes and categories to suit different animals and birds. The six-litre cemented water bowl caters to animals like cows, donkeys and horses while the medium-sized water bowl of four litres caters to dogs and cats. The small water bowls cater to birds.

"According to veterinarians, dogs turn aggressive due to extreme fatigue and dehydration. Even the gutters dry up during summers leading to animals dying of thirst. Through this, we are able to make a difference to their lives," said Ankur Bhatnagar, an animal lover who is responsible for distribution of water bowls in Whitefield.

Usha Madan, a volunteer and psychotherapist says, "We are planning to come up with a GPS tracking software to track the installation of these water bowls as there is a chance of them being stolen. This initiative helps people show their compassion for animals."

Over 2,000 water bowls have been placed in various parts of the city in the last two months.

The water bowl project has also expanded to Tumakuru, Belagavi, Chennai, Ballari and Hubballi.