Speaking to Ashwin Sameeran Mukundan can be a revelation for all those who believe it is only stray animals who suffer the most. Of course, they do but there is a large number of abandoned pets particularly dogs who are found in abysmal conditions on the streets. "About 40% dogs we rescue are abandoned dogs. People who are shifting to other cities just give up their pets. Breeders just abandon the dogs. Recently we found a labrador with uterus infection. I think she was being used for breeding," says Ashwin.
He should know better. Ashwin along with Satish Yadav run an ambulance service "Enablers United" for injured and sick strays. Passionate about animals, the duo quit their management jobs in 2014 to plug this hole. "There are shelters in the city and believe me they are doing wonderful work. They bend backwards to accommodate more animals in their shelters and care for them than they can. But how to take these animals there. We saw this gap and decided to bridge it,” explains Ashwin. Enablers United has tie-ups with all the animal shelters - Krupa, VoSD, CARE, CUPA in Hebbal and Koramangala in the city which lets the outfit take the animal to any one of them depending on availability of space and proximity to the spot.
The two vehicles - Alto and Omni - with cages and first-aid kit inside them are on alert waiting for tip-offs from people. Enablers United has two drivers and helpers but in case they don’t turn up, Ashwin, Satish and other team members drive the ambulance themselves.
"We rush to the spot, administer first aid and take the animal to the nearest vet in case of emergency. There we get a blood test done and neuter them. In case, there is no space at any of the shelters, we keep the animal with us for a few days and also put them up for adoption," says Ashwin.
A few days back, the team spotted a mule on Bannerghatta Road with an electric cable poked into one of its eyes. "In the case of cows, mules, sheep, we have to first take it to the police station and write a letter stating our intent and contact details for the owner to find their animal easily. We took the mule to VoSD and unfortunately, it has lost its one eye but doing extremely well and has been permanently adopted by Rakesh Shukla of VoSD." For those who don't know, mules are one of the most ill-treated animals in the country.
"In summers, you also find lot of birds just dropping off from the sky...dehydrated and unable to fly. In the last couple of days, we rescued 4-5 eagles. We first gave them water through syringes and then transported them to WRRC (a Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre, Bannerghatta) which has an excellent avian vet.”
The team regularly finds cows and dogs with acid thrown on them, broken legs and bleeding eyes. "It is easy to transport small animals but what to do with mules, cows. For smaller animals and to reach the place faster, sometimes we even go on bikes," says Rahul Reddy, a team member of Enablers United.
Rahul relates to us other horror stories that he witnessed like that of a cobra with its teeth removed being flaunted by two women for money or a dachshund tied to tractor being dragged.
Till now Enablers United has rescued more than 300 dogs but they don’t feel it is enough. Lack of funds and awareness pose as big deterrents in their growth. “We need more manpower as well and people with genuine love for animals because not everyone can and want to handle animals. We also want to expand, have more vehicles and be available 24/7,” adds Rahul.
(For more details visit www.enablersunited.org call 9535646502)
Get your act together
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 which penalises the offender with a mere Rs.50 is an obviously weak law that has not deterred people from breaking it. Animal Welfare Board of India has been asking the Centre to enact the draft Animal Welfare Bill, 2014 which calls for stringent punishments.
A case in point
The assault on police horse Shaktiman (he later succumbed to injuries), in Dehradun, the murder of puppies in Delhi and Bengaluru and the acid attack on a pony in Hyderabad are amongst the most recent and horrific cases of animal abuse.
