KOCHI: When Prasanna found the disfigured pomeranian by the roadside, she found it difficult to identify what animal it was, let alone its breed. Most of the fur on its body had been burnt and it was barely able to crawl. Prasanna managed to call her friend Baby P V, took the pup to the veterinary hospital and got it treated. The vets predicted slim chances of its survival, but survive it did. Silky the pomeranian, though blind, is cared for by Sheela Alphonse, another animal lover friend of the duo. In another instance, Prasanna got a call from a dog owner who wanted to give away his one-year-old dog. The reason? ‘It is no longer a puppy.’ “I only got it as a plaything for my son” was his argument. Prasanna and Baby have countless such incidents to narrate – of the goat whose owner left it tied up in the rain for four whole days, the ailing dog which was left on the highway by its owners because it was ‘old,’ and many more. “It is true what they say–Man is indeed the cruellest animal,” say Baby and Prasanna. With the help of a group of like-minded friends, they are doing the little they can to ease the suffering of these four-legged victims through the organisation they launched - AVA, or A Voice for Animals, now a registered society based in Udayamperoor. Every other day, they get calls from friends and acquaintances about injured and abandoned animals on the roads. The problem they face, as always, is the rehoming of these animals. It’s common knowledge that there is still no government-sponsored shelter for animals in the state. Despite umpteen number of protests from animal welfare activists, the funds allotted for the same always lapse. “The public gets into a tizzy when there is an instance of an old or injured person being abandoned by the caretakers. But when the same happens to an animal, nobody is bothered. Aren’t they living creatures as well?” they ask. However, there is a limit to the extent of rescuing they can do, they say. For the treatment alone, they had to pay about Rs 12,000 out of their own pockets for Silky the pomeranian. “The shelter we have at Udayamperoor is full now. Baby and I have more than five dogs each at our homes, a part of which we have converted into shelters. We simply don’t have the space for more.” There is only one thing they can do, they say, and that is to educate the public about the need for protection and care of aged and injured animals. “Animal owners need to be taught that abandoning an animal when it suits the owners is just not acceptable.” Currently AVA has seven members, all of whom are into other jobs. All contribute a certain amount towards the cause on a monthly basis from their own pockets but they need much more to prevent instances of mercy killing. “We feel that there are quite a few people out there who wish to help. If only they could reach us, things would be easier. Also, one group of people cannot change matters overnight. If each and every citizen decides to do their bit, we can put an end to this heartless cruelty,” they say. They can be contacted at 9995989279.
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