Is it lack of awareness, or willingness, or just being so inhumane that drives dog meat festivals, like the one of Yulin on our planet? It’s been reported that the annual 10-day event can be traced back to 2009 and it is believed between 10,000 and 15,000 dogs are slaughtered for the festival each time.

Yulin has been slammed by many animal rights activists across the world, who are still looking for new ways to pressurise the organisers to cancel the brutal customary practice in China.

While the argument is still on for this; the situation here in India is fortunately much better and humane, for love shall be found for the strays and pets largely in the country. However, that being said prejudices exist here as well, for ‘strays’ are still looked upon as a menace, even among those who look after animals in various metros of India.

But, the majority stands on the better and brighter side. One such encounter happened recently after getting to know of the campaign called #RiseForTheStray here in New Delhi. A team of avid animal-lovers instigated the drive under the helm of Amol Sharma, an entrepreneur who runs a platform making headway in the community of pets and pet parents, called PetSutra.

The campaign represents a larger cause, and, intends to encourage people to serve water and food (that are most of the time thrown into the garbage vats) to the stray animals in their locality or wherever possible. They keep encouraging people in the capital about adopting the little innocent beings, but while they’re still out on streets, the strays must not suffer.

The campaign doesn’t only encompass stray dogs, but, birds too, who suffer due to lack of access to clean drinking water and food in the capital here. Initially, the campaign started digitally and achieved wide attention and appreciation from many animal lovers and animal-welfare organisations from all over India.

Recently the team organised a day walk where they ventured out to serve water and food to the strays at the Connaught Place area of New Delhi. The walk witnessed a decent turnout, with many people in attendance.

The team went out and covered a wide area there, where they served food and water to the animals, followed by placing water bowls in each block of the vicinity, to facilitate the basic movement. They informed and spread the word to local vendors and shopkeepers as well, so to expect co-operation in replenishing the bowls with clean water whenever needed.

Whilst sharing his thoughts and vision, Amol expressed, saying, “PetSutra has been constantly engaging with people and informing them about the dos and don’ts concerning the stray animals and birds. The principle message of the campaign has not been about attending the event in person, but helping the stray animals, in reality.

“Thus, the team constantly through our social media platforms have been encouraging people to do the needful in their locality and supporting them throughout through content, suggestions, answering queries and so on. We have pledged to continue the movement and inform people as a practice, for a change will take time to take shape. PetSutra abides by a holistic approach to pet parenting and animal welfare. Our objective is not only to provide information necessary for bringing up a healthy pet but also to inform all the animal lovers about how they could help the animals out on the streets”.

Accustomed to years of abuse, street dogs do not always instantly bond with humans. But when they finally do form a connection with their adoptive parents, the bond is incredibly strong.

One such instance came up, when I had a tryst with Angshupriya Danda, a pet parent who’s a communication professional. Angshupriya, resides in CR Park, and, is a ‘mother’ of two canines, at present. Her labrador, Roy, which came to her as a pet, and Louie, an indie that she fostered initially, and later became an integral part of her living set-up.

When asked about this sort of a campaign and drive, she stated, “What makes us different is what makes us to be able to feel — our conscience. It gives us the innate characteristic to be able to show compassion, whether it is for other humans or for animals. Being able to create a thriving eco-system whether for domestic pet animals or for the ones that exist in the wild is absolutely a necessity in today’s world”.

After learning about the large number of culling cases of strays and increasing hostility by people at large, it has led to disappointment for her as a pet-parent. She feels, if we humans are aspiring to create balance in nature, we need to go for measures that should be taken for looking after the well-being of the animals on the roads, the strays.

Angshupriya further added, “Our government should actively engage more in these kinds of events to encourage the society and by standers at large to involve themselves in animal welfare more. An organized chain of helpers, feeders and a list of go-to contacts in case of animal emergency, should be available at local volunteers and authorities of municipalities, to discourage negative actions against these animals. Being a pet lover and a pet-parent, I would be more than happy to participate in such a movement if it occurs. A thriving world of balance between nature, animals and humans would be a dream realised, if only we are more compassionate towards the mute”.

There are many animal lovers, feeders and volunteers who go out of their way to take care of these mute beings. Their act of selflessness must be widely acknowledged by those who otherwise deny participating.

The #RiseForTheStray campaign is a beginning of a series of initiatives that PetSutra plans to achieve in near future with like-minded animal and pet lovers.