The recent news where a man was arrested for molesting a street dog in the city caused a major flutter. Almighty Animal Care Trust in Porur played a crucial role in this case. 18-year-old Sai Vignesh, a resident of Porur and the founder of this NGO, gathered the evidence and filed a complaint against the accused.
Not just this one case, but this organisation has taken action against several bestiality acts in the past. In an interview with News Today, Vignesh, who is currently pursuing his degree, speaks about his NGO, the cases he handles and awareness on Animal Birth Control (ABC).
He says that spreading awareness on animal care has become an integral part of his life. He didn’t stop at just sharing posts on his Facebook wall, but in addition started his own NGO, searched adopters for abandoned puppies and many more.
ABOUT THE ORGANISATION
The NGO has been receiving a number of complains regarding cruelty against animals, he claims. “Honestly it’s terrible to even hear about cases like bestiality. It shows the sad state of our society. I have even handled other terrible cases like dogs being poisoned in large numbers. On the brighter note, people are becoming more aware about the cruelty against animals and many come forward and report it to us.”
ACADEMICS VS PASSION
Running an NGO at this young age is not an easy task. So, how does he manage academics and the NGO? “If you have passion for something, then any task can be easily accomplished. Apart from juggling college and my work, I develop websites as a part time job, and use the money for the rescues. My father also supports me by giving a part of his salary,” he smiles.
SOME COMICAL MOMENTS
“Countless incidents have happened while rescuing stray and injured dogs. Once while I was trying to catch hold of an injured dog, a passer-by stopped me and said “dogs are so disturbing, please catch and get rid of them.” The man apparently thought that I was a corporation staff. I have also fallen into pits several times,” he laughs out loud. “But end of the day, the satisfaction I get by helping animals, is heart filling. In fact, it’s very addictive,” Vignesh says.
HOW THEY FUNCTION?
“We have very few volunteers and I do most of the rescues single handed. Many in the area know my contact number and call me immediately if they see any injured animal. Also, I follow all the safety protocols,” he assures.
A 24/7 AMBULANCE?
“We are in the initial stage of building a shelter and a free medical dispensary for rescued animals. My dream is to have a free 24/7 ambulance for animals in Chennai and I am trying my best to make it happen. It would enable us to help more animals. We are trying to raise funds in this regard and are expecting more volunteers too,” Vignesh says.
| AWARENESS ON ABC |
| “One of the major issues our NGO has handled so far is the Chennai Corporation Dog Pound case. I have been handling the case since 2017. As per the law, Corporation should catch stray dogs, sterilize, vaccinate (ABC surgery) and release them in the same location from where they were caught. But in the name of ABC surgeries, dogs are being killed. I filed a case regarding this in Madras High Court and it’s still going on,” Vignesh sighs. |
Vignesh can be reached at 9080066731