It all started with a retirement plan. Jayesh Shah, a business man with an air conditioning business had emptied his godown, found someone to lease it and was all set to throw in the towel. But then a pregnant dog seeking shelter from the rain decided to give birth to two puppies (one female and one male) in the warehouse in Masjid Bundar. An animal lover who wasn’t really involved with activism or rescue, Shah allowed her to stay for a while but the new tenants were against having dogs around. “I was clear that the dogs couldn’t leave,” remembers Shah about the incident in October 2013. “We lost the tenant and the dogs remained. In the nights, they would sit outside when we locked the godown.” One night a few boys decided it would be fun to pelt the dogs with stones. In the scurry, the female pup who was born with one eye and a crooked tail ran away. “We declared a reward to locate her,” says Shah. “I attended each and every phone call we received. But what I learned was there are so many dogs and cats in the city in distress.”
Animal love
Shah, now 53 years old, adopted the male pup, christened Dawood and decided to set up a non-profit shelter to help birds and animals. “A friend of mine who wanted to learn the air-conditioning business teased the dog saying, ‘Don’t be Dawood [Ibrahim]!’ when the dog would bully his younger sister and the name stuck,” says Shah who hoped that his NGO would grow and Dawood would have canine friends for company.
It took two long years for Help Animals and Birds Hospital to get established. On January 23, 2016 the shelter was officially in founded. Almost three years later, Shah still runs the entire operation himself. There are 71 cats and 40 dogs recuperating from various stages of injuries. He’s also looking after disabled dogs and cats who have made the space their home and just sit about. They’ve all been abandoned at the shelter. “It’s a one-man show at the moment, but it shouldn’t be that way,” sighs Jayesh. “We don’t have volunteers and we don’t want them to clean cages or look after the animals. We just require a group of people to help with the operations.”
Help Animals and Birds Hospital mostly treats animals for free, admission charges include ₹1500. They also sterilise cats, males are done for free, while females are ₹1600 onwards. Vaccinations are free for indie cats and dogs.
A few months ago, Shah started an all-night (11 p.m. to 5 a.m.) free ambulance service to transport injured animals between Colaba to Mahim and Sion. At the moment, the former businessman is struggling to continue operations and relies entirely on donations. Your generosity and volunteering could save several lives.
Help Animals and Birds Hospital, 11 Asok House, Dana Bandar, Masjid Bunder East. Phone: 9223333338; 9224515131 (ambulance, 11 a.m. to 5 a.m.). Monday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
