Septuagenarian Chandramma, residing in Sri Govindaraja Swami Temple area in Tirupati, has the lone company in her pet mongrel ‘Meenakshi’, which supports in overcoming her common geriatric ordeals while going about her everyday chores. However, with her hind limbs developing paralysis, Meenakshi used to undergo untold pain and suffering which was not attended to or alleviated. More so, since her master was sailing in the same pain boat.
Earlier, she used to drag her hind limbs, which were rendered weak by paralysis. But in her typical nature endowed doggedness, Meenakshi used to go on deriving full strength from her fore limbs for locomotion.
Life-changing cart
Putting an end to her dog days, an unexpected new intervention changed her life. Recently, a wheelcart provided by Animal Careland, a voluntary organisation working in the area of animal welfare and sterilisation, has now made Meenakshi move around comfortably.
“People normally feel bad for dogs whose limbs get mutilated in road accidents. But they do not know how to help them overcome the suffering. It is a new attempt by us to make the limping animals walk normally,” Animal Careland Founder President N.V. Srikanth Babu told The Hindu . The gesture also means restoring self-confidence in the injured creatures that are scowled at and taken advantage of by fellow animals in the pack.
Though wheelcarts are commonly available over e-commerce sites on the internet, they are priced well above ₹ 16,000 and go up depending on the model. But this one is a simpler version made of PVC pipes joined together by a local plumber with ease.
“The entire set is made costing less than ₹ 1,000,” says the plumber Hari Babu. All it took was just a couple of PVC pipes, two wheels commonly used in kids’ bicycles and rubber belts to make the wheelcart. Time taken for completion? Just a day. “The inputs that have gone into its making are locally available and hence replication is very easy,” he adds.
While this no name contraption is a first-of-its kind for the Animal Careland and have tried out on Meenakshi on an experimental basis, they are keen to continue with it and help more canines in distress, depending on public response.
