Activist collects buns left over in flights for strays
Omkar Khandekar
Kharghar resident started campaign in Gurgaon last year. He now distributes handouts on flights.
On his way to New Delhi nearly a year ago, Anand Siva realised that he couldn’t finish the bun that was served to him as part of the complimentary in-flight breakfast. The two other passengers sitting in his row, too, had left it uneaten. As he wondered about the fate of the leftovers, he was suddenly seized with an idea.
It was the start of an initiative that marked every one of the numerous flights he took subsequently. The Kharghar-based animal welfare activist, who daylights as a customer relationship management consultant, came up with a handout to ensure a wider reach of the plan.
“When you clear the trays, please gather all the uneaten buns and give it to me,” the handout reads. “I feed them to strays. To some, this may be the only meal today. And they will thank you for it.” In every flight he boards, he distributes the handout to the attendants. In the 20 times that he has flown in the last one year, Siva says he has seldom returned empty-handed. The latest journey to New Delhi on June 30 was the most successful with Siva managing as many as 42 buns.
“Co-passengers are often curious about what I do. I am more than happy to tell them about this initiative, though I do so in a slightly louder volume than the one considered conversational. The intention is that others would overhear and perhaps, emulate,” says the 48-year-old. “There might be some who think of me as an inflight scavenger but I am shameless that way,” he adds.
His novel initiative has made him a known face among the flight crew. Siva recalls some of the attendants often being quite taken by the act and contributing from the fresh stock. During one of his journeys, says Siva, an air-hostess familiar with him brought a disposable bag full of fresh buns without even being requested for it.
There are no favourites when it comes to strays. Siva says he makes it a point not to let the dogs get used to ready meals - lest it takes toll on their hunting instinct- and goes to different spots to feed them. Once having landed in a city, as he is on his way to home or work, he stops the taxi at random places where he spots the dogs.
“One of the basic principles I observe while feeding is that the number of dogs should never exceed the number of buns. One dog should have at least three buns to himself,” he says.
Though he is not a part of any voluntary organisation, Siva has over the years put up 170 stray dogs for adoption in addition to contributing to numerous other animal help-and-rescue efforts. In his case, charity begins at home: His family of 20 includes 10 cats and six dogs.
“I think the reason behind why I do this is simple. Leftover food goes to waste anyway. If you don’t have a passion for dogs, there are enough children who go hungry on the streets. Do it for them,” says Siva.
Kharghar resident started campaign in Gurgaon last year. He now distributes handouts on flights.
On his way to New Delhi nearly a year ago, Anand Siva realised that he couldn’t finish the bun that was served to him as part of the complimentary in-flight breakfast. The two other passengers sitting in his row, too, had left it uneaten. As he wondered about the fate of the leftovers, he was suddenly seized with an idea.
When he emerged from the Indira Gandhi International airport an hour later, along with his luggage, he had a disposable bag with 20-25 leftover buns he had collected with the help of flight attendants. On his way to his workplace in Gurgaon, Siva halted his cab near a small pack of stray dogs and emptied the contents of the bag. The strays, in turn, wolfed the buns down gratefully.
It was the start of an initiative that marked every one of the numerous flights he took subsequently. The Kharghar-based animal welfare activist, who daylights as a customer relationship management consultant, came up with a handout to ensure a wider reach of the plan.
“When you clear the trays, please gather all the uneaten buns and give it to me,” the handout reads. “I feed them to strays. To some, this may be the only meal today. And they will thank you for it.” In every flight he boards, he distributes the handout to the attendants. In the 20 times that he has flown in the last one year, Siva says he has seldom returned empty-handed. The latest journey to New Delhi on June 30 was the most successful with Siva managing as many as 42 buns.
“Co-passengers are often curious about what I do. I am more than happy to tell them about this initiative, though I do so in a slightly louder volume than the one considered conversational. The intention is that others would overhear and perhaps, emulate,” says the 48-year-old. “There might be some who think of me as an inflight scavenger but I am shameless that way,” he adds.
His novel initiative has made him a known face among the flight crew. Siva recalls some of the attendants often being quite taken by the act and contributing from the fresh stock. During one of his journeys, says Siva, an air-hostess familiar with him brought a disposable bag full of fresh buns without even being requested for it.
There are no favourites when it comes to strays. Siva says he makes it a point not to let the dogs get used to ready meals - lest it takes toll on their hunting instinct- and goes to different spots to feed them. Once having landed in a city, as he is on his way to home or work, he stops the taxi at random places where he spots the dogs.
“One of the basic principles I observe while feeding is that the number of dogs should never exceed the number of buns. One dog should have at least three buns to himself,” he says.
Though he is not a part of any voluntary organisation, Siva has over the years put up 170 stray dogs for adoption in addition to contributing to numerous other animal help-and-rescue efforts. In his case, charity begins at home: His family of 20 includes 10 cats and six dogs.
“I think the reason behind why I do this is simple. Leftover food goes to waste anyway. If you don’t have a passion for dogs, there are enough children who go hungry on the streets. Do it for them,” says Siva.
