Chennai: In this intolerant and insensitive world, Satya, a homemaker along with her family takes care of a bunch of stray dogs in Anna Nagar, Chennai.
When asked about her commitment in carrying forward her daily routine in taking care of stray animals she said, “This is my chosen path to take care of animals especially, stray animals like dogs and cats. I see the whole thing of my routine of taking care of animals as my own responsibility.”
Satya with the help and support of her family has been vaccinating, sterilising, feeding and taking care of stray dogs in and around her residence in Anna Nagar. She has been serving and saving the stray dogs in K block, F block, H block, M block etc., in Anna Nagar, Chennai.
Satya has been doing her best to protect and save animals from cruelty. She doesn’t restrict herself only to the blocks mentioned above but to the larger part of the area. She has rescued and helped many more dogs from other blocks, she says, “Usually, people bring it to my notice when there is a threat or help needed for dogs merely through word of mouth and I immediately go there and do my best.”
Satya and her husband Kasturi together have been truly committed to the protection of animals. They have volunteered themselves with the Blue Cross, The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) several times at different occasions. Recently, they volunteered with the SPCA in distributing water troughs throughout Anna Nagar. They have placed about 30 water troughs in and around their locality and are constantly keeping a vigil to check the troughs in places where they have placed them.
When asked about their journey in serving animals, Satya says, “Initially, we faced a lot of problems. I even had to go the police station at times, people were too rude and intolerant. But, now when I look back at our journey, I feel that things have changed for the better. People have not changed completely, but the situations have become rather bearable over the years. I was ‘annoying’ according to people and I only earned hostility from people but, I didn’t care about all that.”
At present, Satya takes care of twenty dogs and feeds them every day. She has been doing this for the past ten years without fail. She says, “My main intention is not only to feed them but to provide medical support at times when they need and to give them the love and care that every living being yearns to have. I see them as my own children. I have named each of them and through the years I have noticed that each one is unique in their behaviour and character just like us, humans.”
When asked about the expenses in taking care of the stray dogs, she says, “It is difficult to manage and continue to take care of animals because it burns a huge hole in my pocket. I do make a lot of savings with the little things I get. For example, I save the cash prizes and gifts that I receive from my family and friends in special occasions in order to feed my dogs. There are a lot of people who have exotic breeds of dogs in their house purely as a symbol of their status and they spend a lot to get certain breeds but I am rather interested to take care of our Indian stray dogs. It gives me immense pleasure in taking care of them.”
“My only aim is that at least in the next 15 years, there shouldn’t be any stray animals as such. I might sound a little rude, but, what I am trying to say is that people should learn to become inclusive with other living beings. I am not talking just in terms of animals but even trees and the whole environment. As humans, we have larger responsibility, we are only a part of the ecosystem so we should support the other living beings on earth. People must learn to be kind with animals, they should refrain themselves from any kind of violence toward them. We should be the voice to the voiceless,” says Satya.
As a general request, Satya wants each one of us to help animals with whatever we can afford to do for them. It doesn’t require our whole life to do a small help for the needy. A simple phone call to the Blue Cross could save an animal’s life in danger. Placing water in a bowl outside one’s house could help any stray animal to quench their thirst in this hot summer. All these little things makes a huge difference with time, says Satya.
She resides at ‘K’ Block, Anna Nagar East.
Article by Akshya Ramesh