JOIN USIndie pup adoption drives draw more volunteers now
Bengaluru is one of the most pet-friendly cities in the country. Animal welfare activists are happy to note that there are more volunteers coming forward to rescue, foster and adopt pets in the city. Some even have an unofficial group to help these puppies find a home. One such group is ‘Project Animals’. It is an all-women lot with 21 members who regularly conduct pet adoptions in the city.Started in 2018, they will be hosting their fifth pet adoption drive for indie pups on December 1 at Kasturba Road.Jaya Javeri, one of the members, tells Metrolife, “We want to encourage more people to adopt indie pups and also educate them that all bred dogs aren’t meant to live in Bengaluru. In fact, indie puppies are in need of a home.” The team hosts events at various venues, including corporate locations, to spread awareness. “Most of them who stop by may not adopt one on the same day but want to in the future. We hope that by listening to us talk about indie pups, they would consider adopting it next time,” says Jaya. Most volunteers tie-up with an NGO to proceed with the adoption process. ‘Project Animals’ has tied-up with Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre (CARE), where not only are animals from the shelter part of the adoption drive but also the ones the volunteers bring in. Sudha Narayanan, founder trustee of CARE, says, “We usually ask volunteers to bring the pups a couple of days before the drive so that we can do the necessary checks and make them comfortable around other animals. It’s a great networking experience for pups.”“While these adoption drives have been mostly successful, there have been a few times where the pups were returned to the shelter due to various reasons. Most of the times, the foster parents won’t be able to take the dogs back due to certain restrictions, so they end up in the shelter with the other rescues,” adds Sudha. When volunteers approach an organisation for help, the pups have a better chance of adoption. In the case of NGOs, they make sure that the pups are given a health check-up and they also do a screening of the family who have shown interest in adopting the pet. Animal activist Mandy Vasudevan says that there needs to be a structure in place while rescuing animals. “It’s good that there is an interest in helping among the present generation but without a system in place and proper paperwork, dogs may end up back on the street,” she says. She points out that most people who rescue a dog off the street don’t know what to do next. They take the help of animal groups on Facebook. “That’s when animal welfare workers like me get tagged. However, there may be times when we won’t be able to reply on time and someone else who poses to be a trust-worthy person comes in. The person asking for help may not know this and land in trouble,” says Mandy. Experts suggest that the individual volunteers should be aware of whom to trust and how they can help find the pups a home. (Project Animals will be hosting an adoption drive for Indie pups of CARE on December 1, 11.30 am to 2.30 pm at Glenarty, 40, Kasturba Road Cross. For more details, call 9844356330)