Suresh hardly looks like a super human, but his life is somehow like an epic hero from a cartoon book. A company employee by day, at night he turns into a stray dogs rescuer. While other Mumbaiites are sleeping or partying, he treats wounds, answers emergency calls, cleans fleas and ticks, checks upon the “regulars”. On weekends, he conducts awareness programs in Dharavi (Asia's biggest slum). And dismisses my admiration with a simple “Someone has to do it, no?”
I met him for the first time when I needed help with an injured dog in my colony. And I never forgot the way he picked her up despite the foul smell of her wounds and the blood. I had never seen such a combination of compassion and cool professionalism. But this is all the Welfare of Stray Dogs is about.
Abodh, CEO of the WSD left a promising career to head the organization. An MBA from ITM Mumbai, he was the Customer Service Manager of DHL, on his way of becoming a Business Manager. One day he left it all, to everyone’s disbelief. The result of Abodh’s leadership is one of the most admired NGOs in Mumbai, providing first aid; programs for sterilization; immunization; adoption; education and awareness at schools, colleges and slums; rabies awareness and eradication. Counting 150 dedicated, unique individuals.
Daisy, a designer, heads the adoption program. Keith works at Mitsubishi, but volunteers every Saturday morning and lends them his four wheels. Pooja attends to customers during long hours at a call center and dedicates her free time to the cause. Prerna is a student… The list goes on… And then there is the fabulous secret weapon of the WSD - Dr Padam, a homeopath, who treats strays for free in her Saturday pet clinic and also attends to dogs in WSD’s kennel at Mahalaxhmi. This petite soft-spoken lady has treated humans, dogs and even a crocodile… She has cured a dog from distemper, a normally fatal disease, another dog from his injuries from a high rise fall, prescribes drops that delay cataract... She makes most of the lotions and potions in the volunteer’s first-aid kits. And homeopathy works wonders with dogs, it seems!
The dog’s personalities and backgrounds are as various as those of the volunteers. Sick and weak, Kalu landed up at Daisy’s home. With homeopathy, he completely recovered. Still looking miserable and suffering from convulsions, he made the stairs of Regal cinema his home. His looks make people call the WSD at least once daily. But beneath a weak exterior, Kalu is quite a character. His hobby is following people and has been spotted at places as remote as Nariman Point, Fountain, Churchgate, Marine Drive, Eros cinema. This wonderer now has a collar stating his “address” and that he is under WSD’s protection.
Ramesh is a 17 years old (he may not be alive anymore at the time you read this) who “preferred” sitting only on imported cars in his younger days. His “owners” – a family living on the pavement “adopted” him when their daughter was one. She is 18 now. They religiously administer the vitamins and other medication that Abodh leaves and call the WSD if there is a problem.
“Yes, we live in a merciless city, but for every case of cruelty, I encounter 10 cases of compassion,” says Abodh. “Cruelty often stems from ignorance. People in Dharavi stone ill dogs scared that they will pass on diseases to their children or that they represent “evil”. But when they see Suresh treating the dogs, they help us themselves and call us when there is a problem. Every stray you see on the road has a “family” and mostly these are poor people taking care of the dogs as if they were their own.”
Like Arvind the shoe shiner at Eros cinema, who has 4-5 dogs around him at all times. He names them all after movies. Pretty (after “Pretty Woman”) is a sweet natured, fat yellow stray, suffering from incontinence. Then there is Tippu (Sultan), Bond (like the 007 agent) and of course Hrithik (Roshan, one of Bollywood's hottest actors!).
Or the dhaba workers behind Mantrayala who have “adopted” Sweetie and called the WSD for help when a car hit her. Or the countless people who have dropped Kalu back to his “home” at Regal in taxis, their own cars or scooters. Or the jain gentleman, a driver of a school bus who adopted Kareena, found in a garbage dump, and took her on the bus every day to hers and the children’s greatest delight. The heartwarming examples never end. And make me feel GOOD being a part of this city.
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