A large number of people still prefer to purchase their pets rather than adopt, and Indian dogs are rarely their first choice, or even in the top three. If the dog is injured or sufferers from a disorder or disease then chances of them finding a caring home is negligible. But for one man, they’re the axis of his life.
Mahendra Shrimali held a high post at the State Bank of India. A senior manager, he seemingly had everything that one would want to live a life of comfort, but for him it wasn’t enough. “I felt that as a human, there was no meaning to my life just because I had money,” he tells us. Feeling disturbed and unsettled, he knew there had to be something, and that he needed to do more. Quitting his comfortable job at the bank, Mr. Shrimali felt a wave of depression and would take a long walk every night, and it was on one of these walks that he came across a small, weak puppy on the streets. He took the tiny thing home, cared for her and fed her, and it was on the third day that he realised that the puppy was paralysed. Having been told by a doctor that the puppy may not survive her injuries, Mr. Shrimali was overcome by emotions, an ‘aha moment’ of sorts, he knew what he had to do now. From that moment on, he would care and provide treatment for any injured and sick dogs that he came across.
Mr. Shrimali was told about People For Animals (PFA), the country’s largest animal welfare organisation by the doctor who had helped his rescued puppy recover. Mr. Shrimali contacted Maneka Gandhi who chairs the organisation, and impressed by all the work he was doing she requested him to open a chapter of PFA in Ahmedabad where he lived. He started PFA in the city and once they were registered and recognised by the Animal Welfare Board of India, there was no looking back; he even converted his own car into an ambulance. All that was left now was to find a permanent safe house for the injured and scared animals he would come across around the city driving around in his ambulance. It took some time, but in 2014 he got a piece of land and opened the first shelter for injured and disabled animals. Today it’s home to twenty eight dogs, many of them abandoned and paralysed. Mr.Shrimali, along with a team of veterinarians and helpful volunteers, treat the animals with massages and physiotherapy, and are said to have conducted 20,000 medical treatments and over 25,000 neutering operations for various animals.
“The Indian dogs and paralysed ones, no one adopts them--they are unwanted...so by staying here at least they have a good life ahead of them. Even after they get better (injured dogs who are brought in the ambulance), I don’t send them away back to where they were found because I worry that they won’t survive on the streets,” says a concerned Mr. Shrimali. An animal rights activist, he has fought several cases against animal cruelty. The sad fact which remains is that in India, animal rights is not a matter of grave importance. Animal abuse is on a rise and we regularly hear horror stories of animal abuse, namely against streets dogs and cats from across the country and cases of cruelty towards animals aren’t taken seriously. In this unfriendly environment, the work, love and dedication that Mr. Shrimali and his team have is even more commendable. We can only hope others like him might follow suit.
The shelter runs on money from the pension Mr. Shrimali and his wife get every month. It’s not always easy on their budget, but Mr. Shrimali says he has never been happier and has no regrets. If you would like to contribute and donate money to Mr. Shrimali’s shelter, you can contact him at mahendrashrimali@hotmail.com.