Show stray animals that you care

Here’s what Amdavadis have to say about the rising incidents of cruelties against stray animals
Recent incidents have brought to light the sadistic lengths to which humans can go to, simply in order to affirm their superiority. And stray animals are at the receiving end of this abnormal cruelty on most occasions.
Compassion counts
Many complain of dog nuisance, how strays have bitten their children, chased them around or have attacked them.While we need to be protective of our children, the fact is that these are disturbed animals who had been tortured as babies. Says lawyer and animal lover Pooja Bharadwaj, “Animals and humans both have the same five senses; except for a human like brain. So if I slap a person, I don’t expect him to go slapping every other person he sees. But dogs have a natural tendency to chase every human. The problem is, we are also doing the same, if one stray attacks us we will make life hell for every animal we see on the street.” However, looking at the situation from a people perspective, the one thing you can do is to get volunteers from various government and non-government bodies working with animal welfare and have the strays taken away to safer environments.
L-awfully wrong
It is important to know that cruelty to strays is an act that can land you a jail term for upto five years. Some laws against cruelty maintain that injuring, maiming or killing any homeless animal is illegal under the Indian Penal Code. If an animal is perceived to be a threat to humans, it should be reported to the municipality. It is also illegal for people to purposefully knock over animals on the road with vehicles and it can, once proven could land you a fine of about `2000 and a jail term.
You receive the love you give
It is not just about dogs, it’s about all animals. Research shows that animals are extremely affectionate, and they way you keep them, they will be with you too. Giving a little love or small acts of kindness hurts nobody and this something not everyone understands. Animals are known to recognize love in any form. And so the good you do to a stray animal will never go waste. Says animal welfare volunteer Rashmi Solanki, “Small acts of kindness like sprinkling a hot, dry area around your house with a little water to keep it cool in the summer heat and leaving out water in trays for birds, dogs and cows to drink from could go a long way.
The earth was not meant only for humans to inhabit, these animals are an ignored but important part of our ecosystem too!” If you’re one of those who cannot be compassionate towards strays and cannot bear having them around, the least you could do is simply show some humanity towards them and not harm them by beating them up and forcing them to find shelter elsewhere in such scorching heat.
What Amdavadis are doing for strays
While you may see a lot of people feeding strays and providing them with shelter, there are also those who have made the concern for strays pretty big. Swati Verma, who runs a facebook group for dog lovers in Ahmedabad has made the group into a platform wherein people can come in and share their canine concerns and not just that, also share heartwarming stories of people performing random acts of kindness for strays too. She says, “We try and make it a point to share tips and pointers for those who are willing to help strays. The group started as a platform to coordinate rescues and adoptions of strays. And not just strays, we also deal with a lot of abandonment cases where the pet animals get unwell and pet owners just leave them stranded and go. It is sad and disgusting. So we try and do our bit. And doing this work has made me realize that for every person who abandons a pet, there is also one person who adopts a stray. Amdavadis have become extremely proactive when it comes to compassion towards animals.”
What you should do
- If you can’t provide shelter to strays, the least you can do is keep fresh water in a shady area around your house for them to rest in. You could even go the extra mile and sprinkle the area with some water so it is cool.
- Strays, especially dogs have it hard when it comes to finding food. Instead of throwing your leftovers into the bin, at least save some rotis or rice for them.
- Ensure that they are not treated with cruelty; teach your children the importance of being compassionate to all living beings.
- If you see a stray injured or unwell and are scared to tend to it, call the animal help services immediately and stay close until they arrive.