Why we look away from India’s street animals

‘Compassion arises from attention’. This line stood out for me as I read it some time ago. It’s only when you rest your attention on something, that you allow yourself to feel anything. So, what do we do when we see an injured animal on the street? We try not to pay attention. Because if we do, we may feel something stir us. It could be sympathy, guilt or compassion. And we might feel responsible or forced to take action. We as human beings don’t want to waste our time, resources and energy on things or beings that do not serve us. How could an injured animal be of any help to us? It’s easier to just pass it by, isn’t it?

For those of us who show courage and stop have a huge task on our hands. For animal rescues in this country are the hardest. They are hard not just due to a dearth of facilities but also because of a lack of intention to help. Picture this. A dog lying in the middle of the road, injured and bleeding. How many would come over to help you shift it to the side of the road? How many would like to put bricks to surround it and keep it safe till help arrives? How many would have animal shelter numbers handy to even call for help? Yes, there are animal lovers aplenty especially in the metro cities and even if they do call for help, the limited number of ambulances that the shelters have, make it impossible for them to immediately send assistance. And then comes the matter of payment, the biggest glitch of all. We don’t blink twice before ordering new clothes online but when it comes to paying the shelter for sending an ambulance, we become suspicious to say the least. Where is our hard-earned money going? Will it be used for the right purposes? We have a list of endless questions and doubts.

We are also quite quick to criticise how shelters function. Let’s be real. How many of us have set foot inside an animal shelter?  It’s not a pretty sight always. Managing dogs or other animals who may be ill, grievously injured or critical can be quite unnerving. You need a strong heart and determination. Imagine those who work or volunteer inside one. Keeping dogs apart from each other, transporting them to and from clinic visits, maintaining hygiene, safeguarding oneself from bites, injuries or infections are just some of the aspects workers have to worry about.

And let’s not forget the emotional toll it takes on workers. Rescues can cause heartbreak when despite best efforts, the animal cannot be saved. Witnessing cruelty or neglect of animals on a daily basis requires resilience of a different kind. It takes an iron will to continue working in such circumstances when your heart breaks a bit every day. Will Mischief, the abandoned labrador who came to the shelter with a heatstroke survive another night? Will Pumpkin, the Chow Chow get a new home? Will the Indie puppies whose mother died in a road accident survive Parvovirus? And for private shelters, there are funds that need to be generated on an ongoing basis to feed each mouth. That’s a worry that could keep anyone awake at night. Volunteers still do the work that needs to be done as the rewards are priceless. Seeing Snowy recover and back on his feet, seeing Julie the black labrador going to her new home, seeing the scary Rottweiler wag its tail are just some of these rewards.

Let’s step out of the shelters to meet the animal lovers around who, in some of the big cities have been trying to help animals in whatever way they can. Be it organising food, medical help, emergency doctor visits, sterilisations and vaccinations, they are contributing from their own pockets to cover these costs. They take out time from their own busy schedules to organise these activities. Nobody tells them to do so but their compassion and conscience do not let them lose heart and hope. Please note that these animal caregivers have to deal with a lack of funds, shelters, ambulances and also the animosity of those who do not understand or care for other living beings. I won’t call them animal-haters for in order to hate someone you need to also understand them. And most people who tend to dislike animals do not understand them in the first place. They are unable to comprehend their behaviour and do not make an effort to do so.

A dog who is accused of biting may have bitten in self-defence. A female dog whose pups you were trying to rescue snarled at you because she did not trust you with her children. A child who was chased by dogs was probably left alone and unattended by its guardians. Dogs like to chase moving things and not necessarily to harm them. Most dogs who chase vehicles have seen them harm their family members in the past or simply chase for the fun of it. If you slow the vehicle down, they too lose interest.  Understanding their behaviour is one of the first things we must do if we wish to co-exist with animals. And we need to coexist with them as the planet does not exclusively belong to humans. We share planet Earth with them.

We may not all be passionate about animals but we can all be compassionate towards them. It’s not easy to survive in sweltering heat or the harsh cold of winter with no respite. Waking up in the morning not knowing where your next meal is coming from is a harsh truth they live with.  Keeping a bowl of water for them in the summer and ensuring it’s always filled, helping volunteers physically or with monetary contributions, driving an injured animal to the vet, donating to a shelter are just some of the basic actions we can take to make a difference.

We need to be compassionate and empowered enough to not look away when we see an injured animal on the road. Rest your attention on it and do whatever you can. All of us cannot run shelters but we can do our bit for the voiceless.

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