HSR Layout’s wonder women save lives of several strays

By Aratrika Dey

When the BBMP’s ABC (Animal Birth Control) program in the Bommanahalli sector stopped operating midway through last year and CUPA had to stop their sterilization operations for strays around March 2020 due to the pandemic, three HSR Layout residents, Priyanka Gopal, Tapsi Raina, and Prabha Bhaktaram, stepped up to fill in the blanks. Since the onset of the lockdown, these three women are ensuring that the female dogs are spayed in Sector 4, thereby providing a better, healthier lifestyle for the strays.

Keeping a check on stray population

The sole purpose of these women revolves around giving these street dogs a chance at a better life. “Especially the female ones who go through pregnancies every six months,” says Priyanka. Keeping these animals unchecked not only leads to an increased stray population, but also makes it difficult for them to co-exist with the residents. In certain cases, not getting these animals sterilized also leads to aggressive behavior and infighting between the dogs, which might be harmful to the locals and their pet furries.  Oftentimes, many puppies catch ailments right after birth or get into street accidents and die without care.

“Getting the dogs neutered is the only legal and humane way to reduce their number on the streets and also give them a decent and healthy life,” implores Prabha. “We want to have safer streets and build a harmonious environment for both people and street animals.”

Apart from getting the dogs the rabies and other shots and providing general medical care, Prabha, Tapsi, and Priyanka regularly feed the strays in their localities.  

What does the process entail?

First, the female dogs need to be caught in between their ‘heat’ cycles to prevent pregnancy. “Timing is everything and hence we do have to hire dog catchers to get these strays neutered on time,” says Priyanka. After these animals are caught, they are usually transported to the Cartman Animal Hospital in Koramangala for surgeries. The residents also avail facilities from the nearby private veterinarian hospitals for the spaying and neutering procedures. The sterilization surgeries are performed the day after an animal is admitted to the hospital and in Cartman’s case, the hospital keeps them under observation and provides post-op care for three days. Then the animals are brought back to their respective living areas and the three-woman team manages the rest.   

Message to the locals…

“We need to care for the street animals as a community and can’t let these beings get sick and die, or let them live in pathetic conditions on the streets, this reflects a community’s apathy,” says Prabha. As per the Supreme Court of India’s ruling, it is against the law to harass individuals caring for street animals and no animal living on the streets should be harmed.

Till now, most of the expenses of dog care (including ABCs, periodic vaccinations, and medical care) are from their savings, having divided the amount between the three of them. “We request support and encouragement towards this effort in the form of shared contributions,” says Priyanka. “The help needed is solely focused on providing ABCs and vaccinations as it is getting heavier for us financially. We also require volunteers who would be willing to help us befriend these streeties, feed them, catch them when it’s time for neutering and spaying surgeries, and help us keep them healthy.”

The winsome threesome also prepares the puppies for the adoption network, and sends out word amongst the locals to find them forever homes. As of December 2020, there have been successful adoptions of seven puppies, among which Bo, Elsa, Belle, and Dora were the four females, and Star, Ash, and Brownies were the three males.  

Want to volunteer?

These women are not the only heroes working towards creating a good system. Across the city, there are several unnamed heroes working for a similar cause. If you live in or around Sector 4, you can reach out to Priyanka at 77080-69266.