A pedestrian in Mangadu heard squealing from a bag abandoned on the road. He took a closer look and saw a litter of eight puppies, pawing their way out of the dusty cement bag. He immediately called the Chennai Adoption Drive whose founder, Jennifer Jacob-Murali Anand, along with a friend, rescued the puppies and brought them home. The pups were hardly a week old, couldn’t walk and hadn’t opened their eyes. This was when Jennifer thought of the concept of ‘Puppy Sharing’.
“They had to be bottle-fed milk every four hours and their kennels cleaned regularly. I had my hands full, looking after my toddler and several other dogs at home. So I reached out to my friends for help through Facebook. I got around six friends to take in the puppies for a week each,” says Jennifer.
This new concept of puppy sharing has many takers-on, where puppies rescued in large numbers are temporarily adopted by one foster parent each week, and the responsibility shared.
Sheela Subramanian, the first volunteer, says, “I was nervous to take them in, because I didn’t know how to bottle-feed them — Jennifer taught me. When I handed them over to the next person, they had begun walking.”
“Early morning feeds at 2.30 a.m. were the most exhausting. Also, the crate had to be cleaned every two hours, as the puppies feel cold when they sleep on wet sheets. But it was worth it, as I got to see those fur balls when I got back from work,” says Shwetha Rahul, one of the foster moms.
Puppies which are separated from their mother early are vulnerable. “Even though they can’t see, puppies can sense a change in the way they are handled. The touch of the care-giver is important. With a change in houses, these puppies are bound to feel disturbed. “They are prone to infection. By using the same bedding, feeding bottle and milk powder, the risk can be reduced,” says veterinarian V. Arun.
The seven puppies will be up for adoption once they are old enough to get vaccinated. If you want to adopt them get in touch with CAD.
