Cycle for WSD on April 24, 2011

Cycle for WSD in the BSA Hercules India Cyclothon on April 24, 2011 (Sunday) to be held at the Bandra Kurla Complex. You can fill the form to cycle for charity on April 22 and 23, 2011 ( Fri and Sat) from 10 am to 7 pm at the MMRDA grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex or call the Charity Helpline on 9833601068 for more details and tell them you want to cycle for WSD.

The whole entry fee of Rs 1000 would go as a donation to WSD. Look up the charity registration form at http://www.bsaindiacyclothon.com/documents/Website-Charity-Registration-Form.pdf

There are three categories for individuals

Junior Ride (8 to 13 years) Non - Competitive 06km
Amateur Ride (18 years and above) Non - Competitive 20km
LG Green Ride ( 14 years and above) Non- Competitive 10km

The Mumbai Twestival 2011

The Welfare of Stray Dogs(WSD) has been chosen as the NGO from Mumbai in the Twestival Local 2011 - an annual event that encourages local groups of Twitter users to raise money and awareness in aid of their favorite charities.

Twestival was born out of the idea that if cities were able to collaborate on an international scale, but work from a local level, it could have a spectacular impact. Since 2009, over 200 cities have participated by hosting offline events raising close to $1.2 million for 137 causes; most notably education and clean water.

Now, we need your help to spread the word and raise funds.  GiveIndia, the online fundraising partner, will be offering additional money to the city/NGO that raises the most and has the most donors. So far, over Rs.10,000 has been raised but we can do more.

You can donate as little as Rs.110 or as much as you’d like.  Here’s the link: http://www.giveindia.org/give/pledgepage/MumbaiTwestival

What else can you do?

1.  Put the link and this message as your Facebook status:
 

Help the Welfare of Stray Dogs win the Twestival by donating Rs.110 today!

2.  Tweet the link to your followers http://www.giveindia.org/give/pledgepage/MumbaiTwestival

3.  Write a blog post about the Twestival.
So, donate now and spread the word so that we get the maximum support for the Welfare of Stray Dogs. Let’s reach out and help the stray dogs of Mumbai! 

Also do come for the Mumbai Twestival Event 

Venue : Wtf, Khar, Mumbai

Date : 24th March,2011. Thursday.

Time: 7pm - 10 pm.

Entry fee is Rs 300 and above. So pay it to http://bit.ly/giveMumbai or you can pay it on the spot. Get a guest or two along. 

Here are the links.

On facebook : http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198610060159079

On twitter : http://twtup.com/MumTwestival11 

Show us your support and be there.

If you still want to help us out, send a shout out to @mumtwestival or an email to rashiv@gmail.com

And big Woof here and see you there. 

Photo Credit : Rohan Mukerjee for The WSD-Strays of Mumbai Calendar 2010

First Aid Sundays with street dogs and humans

For almost close to the past 15 years, The Welfare of Stray Dogs(WSD) volunteers meet outside Eros theatre to group and split up... to treat various cases of street dogs and cats that require basic first-aid as a part of WSD’s on-site first aid programme. I must have been there on eighty percent of the Sundays in the last fifteen years after having initiated this programme.

Though to the non-animal loving world, this seems to be an activity involving street dogs; it is much more than that. It also becomes a long term association with the people who look after the street dogs. These are all kinds of people; the boot-polishwala, the driver, the street-dweller, the traffic policeman, the housewife who feeds dogs, the hawker, the rag picker and thousands of Mumbaikars who live on the Mumbai streets. Whilst treating dogs, we peep into their worlds and become privy to their sadness and joy.

Today as I was about to start on my first case at the Oval Maidan, I felt sad with the phone call I received. The person on the other side asked me if I knew a driver called Karunakaran Pillai. I thought it was a wrong number and as I was going to tell him so when another person came on the line and identified himself as a Police Inspector. A man named Pillai had just died and my number was found in his telephone book. They were calling up people listed on his telephone book to search for his relatives. I then realised that it was the Pillai I knew and I was confused because of the name Karunakaran. He used to be a driver and used to call us for help for strays that he used to look after. Abodh Saar is how he addressed me. He used to liberally hand out our number to others like him who needed help for street dogs in distress or himself report them to us.  He used to live near the Old Customs House and must have called us scores of times. In fact, I had run into him about a month ago in the by-lanes of P M Road. He had a favourite dog called Soorya who passed away some years ago.

There are so many like Pillai who we have been fortunate to know because of the street dogs, many of them who live alone and then the street dog becomes their only faithful companion and someone they can interact with in this busy city. Many like Pillai pass away unknown and unsung, to be recorded as just another death amongst the lakhs in this city.

Coming back to Eros theatre, we started meeting here because of Arvind, a shoe shine man(boot-polishwala) who used to live and work outside on the footpath of the theatre.  He loved street dogs and used to name them after the movies that were playing at that moment at Eros. He had a James (James Bond), a Pretty (Pretty Woman), a Hritik and an Amisha (Kaho Na Pyar Hai). Everyone around Eros knew him well and used to call him Bangali.  He too died some years ago, again with no relatives and after many trips to the J J Hospital. All his dogs had died before him, other than the Pomeranians left in his care by a lady who took them back after he died.

So we continue to meet at Eros theatre every Sunday morning and are greeted by Mini aka Julie, a white and brown dog that needs to go on a diet. She is the friendliest dog I have seen and has a severe attention seeking disorder. She loves being patted all the time and if you stop she will nudge you to carry on. She hangs around the area, is looked after by another shoe shine man and on week days I spot her sitting outside the new French restaurant opened in place of Sundance.

Sallu from Oval Maidan

We split up after areas have been allotted to the various volunteers and I along with other volunteers generally do the V.T.-Fort- Colaba circuit.  The cases attended are follow-ups of cases that we have attended on week days after receiving a call for them on our helpline. My first case Sallu, a brown dog from Oval Maidan who has a gash on the side which was healing. He and five others are looked after by the Oval grounds man Rohidas. Rohidas too loves the dogs and they follow him around the Maidan as he is rolling a roller or water the pitch. We had to duck a few cricket ball strokes as we reached the middle of the maidan to treat him.

Next case was Orange, looked after by the watchmen of the now closed Shellys Hotel diagonally opposite the Radio Club, close to The Gateway Of India and Taj Mahal Hotel. She has a skin problem and when we call out Orange, she will come and stand before us so as to say, “get on with it” and will hang around even after we have finished applying the skin ointment.

And then we came to Kalu, a fat obviously black cat which we never find on Sundays as he would be in hiding. He is looked after by the Kapoor Lamps people at Kala Ghoda and you will find him on week days sprawled across its entrance. He wanders around the lanes between Fab India and Rhythm House and ask the newspaper vendors, food and other hawkers, they would all know about Kalu and tell you that his majesty just passed by.

And then was Rambo who lives in the open compound in the Great Western building. near the Apollo Gate. A toughie in his younger days, he used to give me a tough time treating him. He used to run into the pump room when he had a bad maggot wound and growl away. Today, age has caught up with him and it was easier as I could just catch him and treat his ear and leg which was maggoted but now is a wound that is healing. An old Gujarati lady, who is very fond of him, directs us to where he would be. She is generally always sitting on a charpai in the compound and will talk in Hindi with a predominantly Gujarati accent assuring us that Rambo will not bite, which of course he doesn’t.

Next, were four dogs in the vicinity of the Sterling theatre. The first Rinku looked after by Tulsi Akka who lives on the footpath opposite New Excelsior theatre. She calls me Abodh baba and I know her for the past 15 years having looked after all her dogs (past and present). See Ramesh in this link. Rinku too had maggots in the ear and she starts running at my sight and smell. The others cases in the vicinity are Chowpatty and Byculla named such as they were brought by the kids from Chowpatty and Byculla.  

We then come to treat Rajan’s dog Tiger who we had found after a girl reported finding a pup in a local that had just pulled into CST station. We knew Rajan was looking for a dog as his earlier dog Ronnie who was a Pomeranian had just passed away. Rajan and his wife live in a little hut surrounded by recyclable material. Rajan is a rag-picker. When we have to treat his dogs, we would be sitting amongst sacks of segregated paper cups, glasses, plastic, newspapers, bottles and what not. Rajan too has a sad story; he named his dog Ronnie after his son who died in tragic circumstances when he was just two. He used to always tell us that the Pomeranian Ronnie is now his son. He was very upset when the Pomeranian Ronnie who was around ten years old died after getting Ascitis. His wife too passed away last year (2010) and that really changed him. I seldom see him smile now and you can  see it in his eyes that he misses her and thinks about her all the time. He now lives alone with two dogs, another Ronnie and my good 'friend', the barking Tiger. 

Then was good old’ Brownie who lives outside Lakshmi building on P M Road. He has a maggot wound near the anus and today, I could treat him without having to chase him as he was fast asleep when we approached him. Once, many Sundays ago, to the delight of other WSD volunteers, he had made me chase him all around P M Road right past Bombay Store upto the French Bank building and back. And remember he is fifteen years old.  

As we were treating him, a crowd collected and one of the street dwellers who were busy playing a Sunday card game on the Lakshmi building steps screamed out to the crowd “Yaha pe shooting nahi chal raha hai, Shooting dekhana hai to Horniman Circle garden jao, waha chalu hai” (There is no show on here, if you want to see a show, go to Horiman Circle garden where there is a film shooting going on). The poor old fella patiently allowed us to treat and deworm him.

The last case was a severe skin problem on Gunbow Street. The person who had called was a gentle Gujarati housewife who held the dog while I treated it. She said that her daughter has named the dog, Yellow and I remarked how we had treated an Orange earlier.

I am sure that I will continue meeting and building relationships with many such Arvinds, Pillais, Rohidas and Rajans who never in my past fifteen years of treating street dogs have asked me “ Why are you doing it for the dogs”, Why not us ! They understand why, some others don’t. And those who don’t are never the underprivileged!

Towards Hope and Change

Hindustan Times asked me to write for a column on the second anniversary of the 26/11 attacks. This appeared in the HT edition of 28 November, 2010.

Little did I know as I was vaccinating stray dogs around Nariman House on November 22, 2008, that it would go through such mayhem four days later. In fact, little did I know of Nariman House at all.

A year later, I went in when it was opened to the public, to pay my respects. I was pained to see the walls riddled with hundreds of bullet holes; ‘live’ television images of a petrified nanny bravely clutching baby Moshe flashed in my mind. How could she have had the courage to do what she did? But there were stories of such bravery across Mumbai during the attacks.

Some of these heroes lived to tell their tales; sadly, many did not. They left behind families and friends whose pain could be sensed by others, but not entirely. The survivors, too I’m sure, were forever changed by the trauma of those horrifying nights.

What could the common man do to show that he cared? We turned out in large numbers at Gateway of India on December 3, 2008, a week after the attacks began.I was one of nearly a lakh people who congregated there to express their rage and demand changes.

In the crowd were youngsters and senior citizens, college students and office-goers, homemakers, celebrities and everyday Mumbaiites, people from far and near, children, even some toddlers… it was democracy at its most vibrant.

The protest was vocal and yet peaceful, with candlelight vigils and placards huge and small honouring the memory of those lost. Signature campaigns and T-shirts made their declarations; there were spontaneous renditions of the national anthem.

Two years on, sceptics might ask if it was enough — all the meetings, functions and prayers. I think it was a good start. Every meeting and memorial is not just a tribute to those we lost but also a push for political change, maintaining pressure on the powers that be. Just like the RTI, a single Act, changed how the average citizen interacted with the government.

I think it was due to all the citizen-led movements that there have been at least some improvements — like us getting a more proactive home minister at the Centre, new bulletproof vests for our policemen, modern weaponry and security equipment, a more mobile NSG, better disaster management cells, a more secure coastline, Force One commandos, armoured vehicles and so many more metal detectors.

Of course, the ultimate vindication will probably come only when we see a fast-tracked judgment against the perpetrator(s) as per India’s legal and constitutional framework.

WSD - Lucky Dogs Of Mumbai - Calendar 2011

The Welfare of Stray Dogs calendar 2011 celebrates the many individuals and families who have opened their homes and their hearts to street dogs.

These wonderful people have understood the significance of adopting a loving animal from WSD rather than buying one from dubious breeders. In some cases, the families wanted to buy a ‘pedigree dog’ but found true love when they met one of our kennel dogs.  These dogs of the Indian Pariah breed are hardy, intelligent, good-looking, affectionate, and make instinctive watchdogs.

The WSD Adoption programme was started in 1994 to promote the adoption of street dogs and abandoned pets. WSD behaviorally assesses each dog and matches his/her temperament with that of the prospective owner. We also screen the owner to ensure that the dog goes into a responsible and committed home.

All the dogs featured in the calendar - although once living the hard life – are now the embodiment of ‘happily ever after’ stories in their new homes.  In spite of being adopted as adults, they have adjusted beautifully to their new surroundings, shattering the myth that only pups make great pets.

We hope that these success stories will result in many more such beautiful bonds.

The calendars are available at the following places for Rs 150. All photos taken by Rohan Mukerjee.

Mumbai

South Mumbai

Colaba and Kala Ghoda

Rhythm House : 40, K. Dubash Marg (Rampart Row), Kala Ghoda, Mumbai 400023. Tel: 4322 2727

Dr Padam’s Clinic: Ground Floor, Mohini Mansion, Opposite Strand Cinema, Colaba, Mumbai – 400 005 Tel : 22834842

Greenfields : Army Navy Building ( back entrance), Behind Westside, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai – 23. Tel : 65157507

WSD Office: C/o Mr F. Broacha, 2nd Flr, Yeshwant Chambers, B.Bharucha Marg, Near Fab India, Kala Ghoda, Mumbai – 23 Tel : 64222838

Churchgate

Valhalla : Eros Theatre Building, 42 Maharshi Karve Road,, Churchgate, Mumbai 400020  Tel :  67353535

Dr Leena Dalal’s Clinic :Green Fields, Opposite Oval Maidan, Churchgate, Mumbai – 21 Tel: 66153497 

Kemps Corner and Warden Road

Celebrations :  Cymroza Art Gallery, Warden Road, Mumbai  Tel :32953043      

Ibrahim’s Pet Shop : Kemps Corner, Mumbai – Tel: 23806278

Tardeo

Pawfect : Shop no AS 10, Forjett Street, Anand Nagar building , Tardeo, Mumbai. Tel : 64463129 

Dr Tina Rustomji’s Clinic :Gamadia Polyclinic, Gamadia Colony, Tardeo – Mumbai - 34 Tel: 23519105

Central Mumbai

Blue Frog : Mathuradas Mills Compound, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Opposite Kamala Mills Compound, Entrance From Tulsi Pipe Rd  Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013 Tel : 40332300

Dr Makrand Chavan’s Clinic : Shop No 1, Matoshree Tower, Kohinoor Mills Lane, Shivaji Park, Dadar – Mumbai- 28 Tel: 24380756

Western Suburbs

Bandra

Paws and Furs : Shop No 3, Kailash,156, Waterfield Road, Bandra, Mumbai. Tel: 66990858

Tailwaggers : 16th Road, Behind Hawaian Shack, Bandra, Mumbai. Tel: 9820127572          

Khar

Dawgz : B4, Snowhite CHS, Ground Floor,  18th Road, Opposite Fabindia on Khar Danda Road, Khar (W), Mumbai. Tel  26056810

Vile Parle

Pet Range : Shop No 4, Saroj Building, Opposite Grasshopper Restaurant, Near Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle, Mumbai 400 056.

 Andheri

Dogaholics : Shop No 6, Garden View, Shastri Nagar, Lokhandwala , Andheri(W) – Mumbai. Tel : 9819004010

Eastern Suburbs

Chembur

Dr Deepa Katiyal’s clinic : Ghatla Village Rd, Opp.Ratna Supermarket, Chembur 8, Pushpanjali Co-op Housing Soc.Ltd, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400071. Tel : 25503887

Kolkata

  Anokhi, 6, Russel Street, Kolkata - 700 071

 Earthcare Books, 10, Middleton Street , Kolkata - 700 071 

(Please telephone the respective outlet for their timings and availability)

Mumbai's Bird Man

The first time I met Pradeep was some fifteen years ago when we were vaccinating street dogs against rabies in the Fort area. He was playing cricket on an empty Sunday  street, on the otherwise busy P.M. Road and he suddenly came up to me and muttered in Hindi. “I will help you in the vaccination”. That was to be a very long association and he still helps us not only with his passion- the birds but also with other animals .  

Had written this for the Outlook magazine some years ago…..this is the unedited version….

Pradeep D'Souza - ducking the camera

You will have to go round and round a spiral wooden staircase that winds up  four floors, come to a open to the sky terrace, enter a little room, climb onto a steep ladder, go through a little window and finally you would have entered into Mumbai’s birdman, Pradeep D’Souza’s little bird haven, a shelter cum hospital ‘nestled’ on top of a small terrace in the heritage Queen’s Mansion in the Fort area of South Mumbai. 

Pradeep had a passion for birds since his childhood days as his older brother used to keep pigeons as pets. When they fell sick and as there was no vet who was specialized in the treatment of birds, all he could do was see them die. Determined to save his birds, Pradeep started reading books on bird care and medication. He learnt about preventive vaccinations for Ranikhet or Newcastle disease and treatment of various bird ailments.

A rescued masked booby

Thus in 1997, he started treating injured and sick birds brought by other people and till date must have treated over 3000 feathered flock of different species.  From the common ones like parrots, pigeons, crows and kites to the rarer ones like eagles, falcons, mask boobys and night herons; they have all passed through his healing hands.

Pradeep treats more than hundred birds a month. His name as a bird savior has spread far and wide and people bring injured birds to him from all over Mumbai, even from far flung places like Virar and Nala Sopara.  There is a cage kept in the compound of the building where people can deposit the birds. He is currently housing more than 250 birds that include thirty parrots, eight owls, thirty kites, hundreds of pigeons, a duck, a mask booby, a night heron and crows.  All these are housed in cages weaved and built by Pradeep himself. As soon as a bird heals up he lets them free depending on their original habitat.

He says that his birds always remember him. A kite that he housed for two months due to injury and was set free after it healed, refused to go away and kept coming back. His family has played a big role in supporting his passion. His mother helps out in the feeding and his brothers have always helped out financially. One of his brothers, Donald who runs a cable TV business and is a partner in a fast food joint called Fido’s near Sterling theatre has helped him with the costs he incurs on building bird cages and buying medicines. There are also some individuals who fund the feed expenses. 

But the soft spoken, shy and humble Pradeep says that it does not cost too much to maintain birds as medicines are not very expensive. He never charges anyone his services and in fact is shy when it comes to accepting any money.  He adds that his neighbors have been very supportive and never complain as his birds have never been a disturbance to the people around.

Pradeep's little bird haven

His dream is to have a large terrace which has plenty of sunlight; some where in South Mumbai so that he can treat thousands of birds and release them more easily.  Terraces anyone …. For the bird cause!

And Mumbai's lifeline is being pulled by an engine !

These photos taken by me at 8:30 am today of a local train running slowly and is being pulled by an engine. This is between the Grant Road and Bombay Central stations on the Western Railway during peak commuter hours and it sums up "The Motormen's Strike' which paralysed Mumbai yesterday and would continue to do so today unless it is called off.

Read reports about the strike which is the biggest since 1974 , here here and here.