C Narasimhamoorthy, 80, and C Padmavathy, 73, run an animal welfare trust in Chennai

 
Tripod was just a pup when he lost a leg in an accident. Today, he has matured into a playful dog, always up to mischief at the loving home of the Narasimhamoorthys in Chennai. Sitting amid his large brood of dogs and cats, C Narasimhamoorthy, an 80 year-old retired RBI officer, says, “Socrates rightly mentioned that compassion for animals is the noblest of all virtues.” In fact, Narasimhamoorthy and wife C Padmavathy, 73, share their 1,500 sq ft home with over 85 cats and dogs. That apart, he goes on rounds twice a day, carrying Tiger biscuits for stray dogs in the neighbourhood. Reminiscing their journey, Padmavathy says, “In 1995, with residents complaining about the increasing number of strays, the city corporation started killing them.” The couple was also alarmed at the way aged pets were abandoned when they became sick. “It was heartbreaking to see abandoned pets outside eateries yearning for a morsel of food,” she adds. Dismayed, the couple decided to take animals under their wing by starting the Animal Welfare and Protection Trust (AWPT) in 1998. With the help of volunteer doctors, they also ran a small hospital, where they performed around 30 to 40 neutering surgeries per week and vaccinated many. Animals operated upon were returned to where they were picked up, following their recovery. Recently, the couple had to vacate the hospital when the government undertook the widening of an adjacent road. Over the years, however, several animals have crawled, hopped or slithered through their caring arms, including a jackal that was rescued from local gypsies, electrocuted monkeys and birds, rabbits, squirrels and even snakes. “If it is a dog or cat, we bring them home,” says Narasimhamoorthy, adding they call the wildlife board if it is a wild animal. The couple also regularly advertises in the ‘pet columns’ of newspapers to find homes for their rescues. In recognition of their work, in 2006 the state government sanctioned a ₹ 300,000 donation annually to the trust, and gifted them a van. Imprinted with slogans such as ‘Save a Life’, and ‘Live and Let Live’, the van can be seen coursing through the streets of Chennai, rescuing strays. With the number of animals in their protection going up, they are now on the lookout for donations. “We try to find homes for our puppies and kittens,” says Padmavathy. “In case we don’t, they are always welcome to be a part of our family, like Tripod.”

—Shivani Arora

Photo: Chennai Pix
Featured in Harmony — Celebrate Age Magazine
March 2017