Chennai Adoption Drive (CAD) has scheduled its next event for Sunday, August 5 and will feature dozens of Indian puppies and kittens for adoption free of cost. What started off as a group that re-homed a few rescued animals is now a regular monthly event on account of the positive response from the city’s potential pet-owners.
“Our first drive had only eight adoptions”, says founder Jennifer Jacob-Murali Anand. “In total, we have now had around 300 adoptions with around 20 adoptions on average per drive”. Jennifer and her team go the extra mile by following up on the well-being of the pet and guiding them wherever necessary.
The CAD team registers the adoptions with address and ID proof and follows up to ensure that their rescued animals are spayed or neutered.
“People sometimes have this mental block against spay-neuter, and are under the impression that animals need to have at least one litter - this is wrong”, says Jennifer who firmly advocates population control through spay-neuter. Several volunteers of CAD ended up deciding to adopt the animals that they were originally meant to take care of just temporarily. Says volunteer Divya Srinivasan, who adopted her foster kitten Wacky from CAD– “His mother had died and I was fostering him. I didn’t have the heart to let him go!” She adds that Wacky is the only one who can bring an instant smile to her father’s face at the end of a long day – “An animal is so happy to be around you, that it’s worth the little adjustments you have to make in your life. They are so loving and ask for nothing in return”. Rahul Sadagopan, whose dog Milo is featured in this then-and-now picture recounts the story of how a temporary arrangement led to a lasting relationship with the rescued pooch. “Milo came in as a foster pet that we agreed to take care of for two weeks. Two weeks became four, and four became eight. The joy she brought us made her a part of the family. She’s now won every heart in the household”.
The upcoming CAD event for vaccinated pups and kittens is scheduled for August 5, Sunday at 6, First avenue, Boat Club Road (Opp. Hotel Park Sheraton), Kotturpuram, Chennai. For more information, call 8939311148.
