These are testing times for humanity in general. Lockdowns across the globe have become a common feature as governments try to contain the spread of COVID-19. But there is a silver lining to the cloud, looking at the situation from the perspective of stray dogs. Smita Mire who runs the Save Speechless Organisation, a shelter for stray dogs in Nagpur, says, "With all humans inside their homes, cases of stray dogs being run over have reduced and so have acts of violence against dogs."

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Aditi Nair, co-founder of My PAL Club, an NGO that takes care of stray animals in Thane, Maharashtra, has the same to say.

"There has been a massive reduction in accident cases, now they (dogs) only fight with each other," she says. MyPAL Club used to get 30-35 calls daily before the lockdown was announced. It now gets barely 3-4 calls.

But it is not an ideal situation to be in, after all, these strays need to be fed. The 21-day lockdown has been hard on stray animals too, as they are now deprived of their staple Parle-Gs and chapathis.

PAL has started a feeding drive in Thane, encouraging people to feed stray animals in their localities.

This lockdown has in way shifted the onus of feeding the animals on such NGOs and animal shelters. Earlier, this used to be done by hawkers, store-owners, home makers and even office-goers.

In the last 2-odd weeks, PAL’s food requirements have increased by 15-20 kilograms a day. PAL has ensured the volunteers do not have to spend from their own pocket for buying food. On average, their volunteers are provided 10 kilograms of food daily. Back in Nagpur, dog food is being sold at a premium.

"I used to buy dog food at Rs 1,700 for a 20 kg packet, ithat now costs Rs 2,200," Smita says.

Some medical services that these organisations used to provide are facing hurdles because of the lockdown. Smita is facing scarcity of vaccinations because the borders are sealed. PAL is using only one ambulance for emergency cases and has suspended all its other medical services. For the time being, they are solving problems ‘remotely’ via WhatsApp images and videos.

Animals Matter To Me, a Mumbai-based NGO that feeds cats, dogs and cows too is battling for support. It is facing shortage of food and is being helped by Royal Canin for food supplies.

"We will soon start crowdfunding as animals and birds too are affected by this lockdown and need our help,’ founder Ganesh Nayak says.

PAL earlier functioned with around 20 volunteers for their two feeding programmes, but now they are forced to work with only 2-3 volunteers. The organisation has also seen help from ‘non-regular’ volunteers.

"Many people are coming forward to feed the strays, and that is helping things somewhat," Aditi says.

PM Modi had appealed to people to take care of animals which are also facing problems because of the lockdown.

"It was difficult to handle the situation, but the PM’s address has eased things. People and police are now co-operating," says Pooja, who works at YODA, a dog shelter in Bandra, Mumbai.

"Some grocery shop owners open their shops late at night to provide them with rice. One guy gave us 20 kgs of rice, people understand the situation," she said.

Animal Welfare Board of India on March 23 had notified that ‘feeder and fodder for large animals and food for stray companions and animals is an essential service and may be kept operational during lockdowns.’

Organisations say that largely, authorities have adhered to this notification.

PAL’s doctors haven’t faced any issues, in fact, a cop had called them in to rescue a kitten. Save Speechless Organisation works with a letter issued by Nagpur City Police which ensures their volunteers can perform their duties without any interference from the authorities. The police and Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have also been co-operative, Animals Matter To Me's Nayak says. As long as the protocols are being followed, the authorities won’t stop the organisations from fulfilling their duties, he says.

Stray animals depend on human benovelence to survive. It is the compassionate few among us who voluntarily make the effort to ensure these animals get at least one decent meal a day. But even they are now scrambling to make arrangements for the strays.

Smita says, "Families are concerned about our health when we go out. Resources are scarce, so I have to do most of the ground work."

Like Smita’s, many other organisations are self-funded or depend on donations to ensure these helpless animals don’t go to sleep hungry. And the consensus in these testing times (no pun intended) is, they could do with more.

First Published:Apr 4, 2020 2:07 PM IST