Feeding Street animals during the lockdown
➡️COVID-19 germs do not affect animals but if not fed, animals will surely fall sick out of hunger. You need to maintain social distancing from other humans but not animals. ➡️We need to feed Street animals dwelling in open, including dogs, cats, cows, pigeons and more, because they are mostly dependent on the eateries nearby and also animal lovers who feed them regularly. ➡️Government advisories and statements have helped ease restrictions to some extent to resume feeding the strays and carry out rescue actions but the advisories need to be implemented by local authorities to ensure sustained animal welfare action. ♦️ How did we handle ?? ➡️When they announced about the lockdown, our team decided to feed the street animals understanding the gravity of the situation but we realised this is not enough and we need to cover more areas. First day – we sent official mails to the higher authorities and tried to get the feeding passes from the government but it dint materialize. ➡️ Second day – our team met the DCP, gave an official letter, after completing all the formalities – they granted us permission for 12 vehicles. We were given fixed time slots in the morning and evening for feeding. ➡️ Third day – our members started feeding during the time slot given and they have been feeding rice mixed with dog food, street animals prefer rice to dry food so we mix it up and feed. It’s a Herculean tast for each member to cook for around 50 to 100 plus dogs twice a day and feed around the city. Really appreciate their commitment/ passion and this is what you call -pure selfless work❣️. ➡️ Fourth day – We started connecting with people who are feeding street animals and we are truly happy to know that there are a bunch of kind compassionate souls in kochi who are feeding animals. So we created a WatsApp group – lockdown feeding , we added members from different NGOs and also individuals who are feeding – we share information through a Google excel sheet ( name / phone number / location of feeding ). We have also shared the route map and each member has marked their route – this is done to avoid duplication of work. ➡️ Experience after everyday feeding – there are no words to describe the feeling of feeding. Dogs now recognize the vehicles and chase the vehicles wagging their tails with happiness ( they don’t attack, they don’t bark while chasing but wag their tails with happiness) and some of them prefer pampering over feeding . There is a mother dog in north railway station – she will wait for her puppies to complete the meal and only after they finish the meal, she will eat. We deliberately don’t pamper / express our affection for streeties because they need to survive in this world but to our surprise – even without pampering them – just by feeding – street animals surrender and in return you will receive unconditional love.