ANGEL EYES ANIMAL WELFARE FOUNDATION: Sensitizing people towards our furry friends
Angel Eyes – the name itself has an innocent and curious feel about it. Walking on the roads everyday, we forget that there is life beyond humanity, a life waiting to be embraced and loved. These street-fighters are surviving against odds. And in order to help them, we have ANGEL EYES – a non-profit organization started by a group of devoted and enthusiastic animal lovers for the rescue, adoption and treatment of injured and abandoned pets, especially, Indian breed dogs.
“Founded in 2008, Angel Eyes grounds its service in conviction of the principle deeming all living beings equal – by which every animal and bird has as much right to live, to experience freedom and to feel protected as does any human being. In advocacy of this message, we center our purpose, objective and methodology along the ‘Triple A’ approaches – recognizing Action, Adoption and Awareness as the elementary steps towards effective welfare initiatives.”
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– Shreya Chhabra, Youth Leader India
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In 2004, Manta Sidhu, passionate about animals and their welfare, decided to form Delhi University’s first animal welfare society, Aashray at Hindu College. Manta Sidhu was joined by animal lovers Garima Dabla and Abhishek Singh (batch mates at Hindu college) and, Vasav Vashisht, a close friend of the three. The four joined hands to take forward Aashray’s objective and purpose – that of spreading awareness with respect to animal welfare relates issues amongst the youth. Here is an insight to their organization and their activities:
What is the vision of your organization and how do you want to sensitize people towards this cause?
Our primary visions are the following – a) to sensitize people towards the various issues related to the cause of animal welfare in a way that people begin to respect all life forms. b) to help establish an effective system and network to provide timely medical aid to sick/injured animals and birds c) to help bring about a widespread acceptance for Indian dogs as household petsOn current projects and activities
NEUTERING OF DOGS
What is the purpose of getting a dog neutered and how do you facilitate the same?
The neutering of stray dogs is very much important for the following reasons –
Not only is the increasing population of stray dogs considered to be a menace by the citizens, but it is in fact also proving to be a menace for stray dogs too. The following being some of the many reasons –
a) There is not enough food to eat for the massive population of strays.
b) Scorching summers and brutal winters cause stray dogs to lead miserable lives.
c) Over-population of stray dogs can also lead to the quick communication of diseases/infections from one dog to another.
d) Anger and unrest amongst citizens due to the growing number of stray dogs is leading to incidents of inhumane acts – such as the illegal killing of stray dogs, separation of new-born pups from their mothers, re-location of stray dogs into hostile environments etc., kicking, beating, poisoning etc.
Angel Eyes gets up to 50 stray dogs spayed every month. Our target is to achieve a figure of 100 as soon as possible. This drive we carry out by hiring a dog pick-up service …and having the dogs transferred to Animal Birth Control units in the city. We ensure that for each group of dogs sterilized…we involve at least one animal lover from the given locality. This, so that…they can assist us in locating un-sterilized dogs…help us release the spayed dogs into the exact same territory from where they were picked…and monitor the health of operated dogs once they are back into their locality…and give them the necessary medical aid if the need arises.
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ADOPTION
Why do you encourage the adoption of Indian breed dogs exclusively? What qualities set them apart from any pedigree dog?
First and fore-most, we all are Indians. So rejecting Indian bred dogs is uncalled for. We Indians need to get over our fetish for ‘foreign’ products. And more-over, dogs are by no means ‘products’ or ‘objects’ that they should be categorized as ‘local’ or ‘foreign.’ They are brought into the family as family members. And we don’t buy our family members, do we? So why not give a home to a needy animal on the street, rather than go purchase a dog from a store…as if it were a piece of fancy furniture. As for qualities, Indian dogs are sturdy and tough…the reason being simple…they are created to survive well in our Indian climate. They can survive the extreme temperatures of our country. Imagine the plight of those German Shepherds and St. Bernard’s with their long hair…bearing the summers of Delhi. It is outright cruelty towards them. Besides, there is no law or science that states that foreign bred dogs will show more affection or loyalty than Indian dogs.
On what criteria do you let people adopt these pets?
First and foremost, we make sure that all members in a family are willing to adopt the dog. Everyone needs to contribute. Then, we need to ensure that the dog will not be left alone at home for long hours. Families with prior experience of owning dogs is always a preferred choice, since they know what all goes into the practice of bringing up a puppy, including the processes of toilet-training, teething etc. There are many other factors that go into determining how well a family can keep a pet…but in general…detailed interactions with prospective adopters gives us a fare idea of how genuine a family is and how they would bring up the animal. Not to ignore of course, is our constant hope for plenty good luck!
How do you ensure that the pets which have a history of ill-treatment on the part of previous owners settle down with the new ones?
It’s a very natural thing that an animal will eventually become comfortable at a place where it’s being given love, care, food and proper attention. Each dog has its own personality and thus each dog will take its own time to adapt to the new house and its new owners. If these dogs have been ill-treated in their previous homes, then each will take their own time to overcome their insecurities. The best way to help rehabilitate an abandoned adult dog into the new house is by giving it enough space initially…and just looking into its basic needs. With time…the animal will learn to love its new family.
What is your stance on breeders who make money by selling these animals?Breeders are businessmen…not animal lovers. For them, animals are profit-producing machines. They want money to come from these animals…not spend on them, and therefore they spend as little as possible on the animals. You will often see dogs being kept in small cages all of their lives…without proper shelter, food, water or regular walks as this would involve spending money on resources and manpower. And what happens to these dogs when they turn old and are not able to reproduce anymore? Why will breeders collect such dogs and spend money on their welfare? Hundreds of such old dogs from breeders are abandoned on the streets and in animal shelters every month. So the next time anyone goes to a breeder to buy a puppy, we urge them to think about the puppy’s parents…who will spend their lives locked up in small cages and finally be abandoned in old age. Dog breeding and selling is a cruel practice and should be strongly discouraged.
ASSISTANCE TO SICK OR INJURED ANIMALS
How do you keep a tab on the pets which have been adopted or even been put back on the streets?
We are very particular about our adoption procedure. Even for families who come forward to adopt Indian dogs off the street, we undertake a detailed interaction with the families. We believe that an Indian dog is better off left on the street, than adopted once…given the comforts of a home…and then abandoned back on the street to fend for it self. So more than the number of adoptions, we lay emphasis on the quality of home that can be provided to an animal. We stay in touch with families that have adopted Indian dogs and cats from us. And are very delighted to receive images and emails from families after months of adoption…seeing those little puppies all grown up and in loving homes gives us immense satisfaction.
ON TRAINING AND VOLUNTEERING
How do you train people for rescuing these animals?
There is not better training that hands-on experience. Volunteers who are interested in rescue work tag along with experienced members in our team and be a part of the rescues that we do. They soon find themselves capable and confident of doing rescues by themselves.
Which shelters have you collaborated with in order to provide medical facilities to sick or injured animals?
We primarily work with Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre for the treatment of sick/injured animals. We are also lucky to have on our board an experienced veterinarian Dr. Arun Taneja, who also attends to cases of injuries and sickness. In addition, our team is well trained to treat minor injuries and illnesses in stray animals on-site, that is, at the original location of the animal, without having it taken to the veterinarian or admitted in the hospital.
ON THE FUTURE
How do you see this organization 10 years from now?
We hope to expand our fleet of motor-bike ambulances for the rescue of small animals/birds. And we also wish to launch a fleet of ambulances for the rescue of dogs and large animals. Kick-starting an animal shelter at even a small scale, as well as starting a unit for Animal Birth Control (ABC) would be a sincere endeavor. In addition, we dream of being armed with a stronger network of dedicated volunteers to help us carry out awareness and adoption campaigns at a large-scale level. In fact there are many other smaller projects that will definitely be undertaken within the next 5 or 10 years…and we would surely talk about them when they begin to take shape.
Contact details:
Angel Eyes Animal Welfare Foundation, 43, Prasad Nagar, Phase 1, New Delhi – 110005 India
+91-11-25754152, 9810560230, 9971984151, 9891619916 and 9873557170
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About the author
Shreya Chhabra: I am a second-year engineering student with zeal to do something different and creative. Firmly believing in the power of words, I totally love reading and writing. With a flair for photography and a passion for history, it gets easier to while away my time. Other than that, I am a tech-freak, a blogger and a crazy movie buff. I love exploring the nooks and crannies of Delhi and finding out the hidden history. I want to write a book on Mughals and their magnanimous life. I am an ardent supporter of animal rights and would like to do something for them in the near future.