Neeta Shetty is a person we get to meet once in a lifetime. Compassionate, brave and with a clear set of values, she is a crusader constantly fighting for justice for animals. Before I met her, I thought of myself as someone sensitive to animals. But meeting and interacting with her made me aware of the real sufferings of animals. Her insights and immense compassion helped me in shaping my understanding of our responsibilities towards animals.
A renowned animal activist from Mumbai and the co-founder of Hope for Indies, an NGO working for Indian stray animals for years, Neeta has been working relentlessly for animal welfare and her NGO is well known for conducting rescue operations in the Indies while organizing several campaigns for animals, starting from feeding and vaccination to sterilization and water bowl drives.
I have been fortunate enough to meet Neeta and during our interaction, she shed light on many aspects of animal welfare.
How did you begin working for animals?
Since childhood, I have been very fond of animals. As a teenager, I used to rescue and bring home different animals. I remember, I once brought home a tiny injured rat and started taking care of it, for 2-3 weeks I fed it with the help of cotton. Unfortunately, I couldn’t save it as we did not have veterinary care during those days in the 80s and there was also a lack of awareness. Sometimes me along with my brother, used to feed dogs with our pocket money and that’s how it started. But I got seriously involved when I got my own baby in 2011. One day I saw the security guard of our building adopting two Indie puppies. As a mother, I developed a deep feeling for the two puppies and started taking care of them as well. We started getting involved in their sterilization and vaccination of the Indies as well. So, since 2011 I have been involved in this.
When did you adopt this awareness about rescuing and helping our Indies?
My first baby was a pug. During that time I was not very aware of the Indies as there was no social media back then. But to be honest, my pug was also my first rescue baby, as she was suffering from severe gastroenteritis along with other medical conditions. The breeder sold her to me in that condition. Somehow by God’s grace and my effort, the baby got saved. So she is a special child for me and I would call her my first rescue baby. She is now twelve years old.
Tell us about your NGO: Hope for Indies.
I used to always carry dog food, cat food and water bowls in my car to feed stray animals. But my proper feeding journey began four years back when I shifted to a new complex in Wadala. There were several stray dogs and puppies in the area and many had medical conditions. Every day I used to roam around the 22 acres of land on which our complex was built and feed all the dogs in the area singlehandedly. Soon the dogs became my friends. But it was a huge task for me to carry on alone and it also involved a lot of financial pressure. It was when a few people who regularly saw me feed the dogs approached me with a helping hand, my solo journey began taking shape. Together we formed a group and started a foundation. It became our duty to take care of the pups, feed them, address their medical issues, and arrange their sterilization and adoption. During Covid, we fed more than 200 dogs regularly and it was when we thought of forming an NGO. Presently our NGO Hope for Indies feeds more than 200 dogs at various locations. We have also started a Water Bowl project to provide clean drinking water to the babies. I have learned to do first-aid to the injured dogs and we also have para-vets to treat the sick dogs.
We also focus a lot on adoption so that the puppies don’t have to struggle for food and water. In our complex itself, we got over 49 Indie pups adopted and more than 150-200 dogs sterilized. But presently I have about 10 puppies that are yet to find a home as it is difficult to find adopters for Indies.
What are your goals and what do you aim to achieve through your work for animals?
Our primary goal is to feed as many dogs as possible. I want to make sure no dogs are left hungry anywhere. I also aspire to start a medical centre, initially in Mumbai and then in other cities as well, since the numbers of veterinary clinics or hospitals are very few and overly expensive. It is difficult for individual feeders or even NGOs like us to bear the medical costs. That is why I want to start my own shelter house where the sick, handicapped and abandoned babies can live peacefully. On that note, I would like to mention that we rescue abandoned breeds as well. The abandoned breeds get adopted soon. It is also in my plan to have our own rescue team for abandoned breeds.
Tell us about the most difficult experience you have had while rescuing.
It breaks my heart every time we can’t save a baby. Several times medical help fail to reach them on time and that is the most depressing and disturbing situation for all of us. I remember, just a year back, a dog fell into an open gutter opposite our complex. Though it fell into the gutter in the evening, I only came to know about it the next morning. I rushed to the place only to find that it was difficult to reach the baby where it was stuck. To make matters worse, it was a public holiday and no BMC staff were available to help us. The gutter was filled with water and our main concern was to keep the dog from drowning in the water. We called the fire brigade but they too were unable to rescue it. I approached a patrolling police van and sought help from them explaining the situation. The police called another fire brigade and finally, after a lot of effort, we managed to rescue the dog. We got him admitted to WSD. They took care of it and after sterilization left it in the same spot where we found it.
How can adopting an Indie can change our life for the better?
I believe that Indie babies are the most intelligent breed on Earth. Loving and caring, this breed is extremely good at understanding commands, if trained properly. They are adaptable to Indian climates and require less medical attention and grooming. Moreover, they are excellent guards. In one of my earlier buildings, no proper security service was available and several incidents of robbery had taken place. But after some Indies came to live within the compound, they stopped the robbery completely. So I would really recommend people to adopt Indies. But at the same time, I must mention that the Indies might display some anxiety issues since they have to endure a lot of hardships. The pet parents must be patient and committed enough allowing them time to adjust and accommodate. However, people often do not want to keep Indies since they are freely available. They give up on them easily and return the dogs to us even after filling out the adoption formalities. So I truly feel that people must research before adopting a dog and should go for it only when they are committed enough.
What are some precautions that people should take when adopting the Indies or even animals in general?
We always try to make it clear that adopting an animal is like adopting a child. There are certain things that the parents should be mentally prepared about. Before adopting a dog, make sure you know about their food timings and any medical health issues that may arise. Also one must have time to take the baby for a walk and make them exercise regularly. Just like a child, puppies might also get up early in the morning or might try to bite things during teething. The parents should be patient and prepared to deal with these stages. Whenever someone approaches us for adoption matters, we assure them that we would be there to guide and support them in terms of medical help. But at the end of the day, it’s the parents who should be aware and committed to their child.
Could you tell us any small ways in which the general public could help in bettering the lives of the strays around them?
One can play multiple roles to help the Indies around them. If you can take care of even one Indie or every neighbourhood adopts a few dogs, our job is done. As an individual, you can focus on their sterilization, or even contact a local NGO for sterilization drives or rescue operations. Besides that you can feed them. It’s not necessary to feed them foods like chicken every day; even some dry food will do. Keep a bowl filled with clean drinking water. And if you are unable to do these regularly, then you can simply help us to find adoption for the babies or contribute to us monetarily to work on their vaccination drives or reflective collar drives. A reflective collar costs only Rs. 40 and it protects the dog from car accidents. You can also enroll yourself in the NGO’s first-aid sessions, as there are frequent workshops conducted for people who are genuinely interested. Give back to your society, give back to your community and also teach your children compassion, so that you are not only giving back to your community but also giving back to your families.
After everything we have discussed, would you like to add anything?
A common misconception is that NGOs are flooded with funds through governmental aid and private contributions. But that is not the case. A lot of NGOs and shelter homes are struggling for funds. So people should contribute to genuine NGOs and shelter homes as CSR activities so that we can continue our work for animal welfare. The fund is really important to help the Indies as it would help us to get an ambulance or hire para-vets. Every single life on Earth is important. I would advise everyone to respect the environment, respect animals, and respect our planet. I want everyone to be aware of the laws related to animal rights and welfare and to stop bullying innocent animals.
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