I was very young when I was first overtaken by emotion at the sight of an injured dog. I did all I could to nurse the dog back to health. Unfortunately, the dog died but it stirred in me a need to devote myself to these furry friends.

It crushed me every time I saw a stray being mauled or crushed under the wheels of a vehicle. It seemed that curbing the stray canine population was the only way to save them, and I figured sterilising them was the best way to do this. I managed to sterilise a few dogs with my pocket money while in college but it was only after my husband and I settled down to a retired life in Sainikpuri, Secunderabad, in 1996, that I could pursue this longpending dream.

I got in touch with Amala Akkineni, the owner of Blue Cross in Hyderabad, which is at the forefront of animal welfare in the twin cities. I spent time at the organisation and learnt how to take my first steps into caring for the dogs.

Before I started working with Blue Cross, I used to feed 20-25 strays near my home, every day. Later, I started putting collars on them; when I would gather about six strays on leashes, I would ring up Blue Cross, who would send their vehicle to pick up the dogs, sterilise them and bring them back. For 10 years, this arrangement continued, until the responsibility overwhelmed the organisation and I had to find alternative means to continue my work.

I was fortunate to meet Doris at Yapral, a nearby locality, about nine years ago, when I had sterilised four of her dogs. We stayed in touch and now she coordinates my operations. Together, we have sterilised at least 40 dogs in her locality itself.

Sapna is another member who coordinates from Kandiguda, another neighbourhood in Sainikpuri. After hearing about my work, waiters and cooks from the Army officers’ institutes have started bringing strays to be neutered.

In time, I needed help and now my husband’s office assistant Durga Thakur, who has been assisting me for 20 years in transferring sick animals to vets, checks on the health of the dogs that are spayed.

My husband Brigadier (retd) Nath helps me finance these operations and logistically too. He believes I have neutered around 1,000 dogs and that I should slow down as I am now 62—out of concern for my health, he has capped the limit to four sterilisations a month!

—Anu Nath, Secunderabad

Photo: Shyamola Khanna
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
July 2018