Rescued in floods, animals find love, shelter in the city

A 40-day-old puppy painstakingly hobbles towards a bowl of water, as veterinarian Dr. Kumar gears up to administer treatment. Srikanth Ramesh, a chartered accountant and volunteer, says the puppy survived miraculously. “Now, that the rains have stopped, people have started pouring kerosene over stagnant waters, to ensure it doesn’t cause an outbreak of diseases. We found this puppy covered in water mixed with kerosene and sewage. We first gave him a wash and are now trying to induce vomiting, to remove the kerosene swallowed by the puppy. This puppy is a miraculous survivor because puppies this young find it difficult to find higher ground. We are now working to get this puppy on the road to recovery and find him aforever home,” says Srikanth, adding that eight puppies were adopted. 

Shashi Mohan, a volunteer with the Blue Cross, says, “Puppies tend to fall ill, due to contaminated water. So, immediate attention is important. Some of the more serious cases are sent to the Blue Cross. These animals are also terrified. We foster them till they are stable and find homes for them.”

By noon, two young girls bring another puppy, rescued from Vyasarpadi. The volunteers swing into action, giving the puppy a wash and then, medical attention. Dr Siddharth Saravanan, who organised this camp with his friend Ashtawadh Balan, says it is tough to find veterinary specialists. “After the rains, veterinary doctors are high in demand. So, we are finding it difficult to get many veterinary doctors to help us out,” he says. Ashtawadh adds, “Over the past few days, we had close to 70 animals brought here. We had people sending in food and drinking water for the animals. However, we do need a lot of blankets to keep them warm.”

Kadambari Narendran, a volunteer, reveals that they were also feeding the stray dogs, during the deluge. “We went across feeding stray animals in water logged areas. Some of the dogs had Mange, so we gave them an antiseptic wash and released them back into their area,” she says, adding that the extra relief material is being sent to other camps set up across the city. For adoption details contact: 9500047536.