Give a Dog a Boon

at you do. From their birth itself, these “miracles on paws” begin working their magic on us. They entertain us and bring laughter streaming into our lives. They nuzzle us, and listen to our dreams and aspirations - always providing us with silent yet powerful encouragement. No one can teach us more about friendship and loyalty than what dogs can. As George Bird Evans said, “I think we are drawn to dogs because they are the uninhibited creatures we might be if we weren't certain we knew better. They fight for honor at the first challenge, make love with no moral restraint, and they do not for all their marvelous instincts appear to know about death. Being such wonderfully uncomplicated beings, they need us to do their worrying.”

Sadly, despite all their wonderfulness and mesmerizing beauty, dogs are victims of the atrocities of humans, across the world. For all the love and affection they give us, these wondrous creatures are treated with disrespect and utter disregard for their well-being. Our reaction to stray dogs is one of contempt and disgust, not one of care and affection. Most people fail to understand that these animals need to be dealt with a loving hand and given oodles of affection, not be beaten up incessantly, sometimes even to the point of death. In the face of such brutish treatment, every ray of love, care and hope is invaluable, no matter how big or small. “.........” was born out of the desire of a woman whose passion is to make the lives of dogs as good as possible and light their lives up a bit, as they light up ours. “........” is an initiative by Ms. Shashi Misra, a 58 year old teacher in one of Delhi’s most reputed schools, the Delhi Public School R.K. She has been serving dogs passionately and with utmost dedication for the past 13 years. From providing them with proper nutrition to making sure they’re properly vaccinated, Shashi is a guardian angel for the dogs in her vicinity. Every day, with no other assistant other than her maid who helps her cook dinner, Shashi embarks on a two and a half hour round of feeding her 58 regular dogs, in addition to any others that come her way. The dogs get fed wholesome food that makes sure they get proper nutrition, and comprises of rice, porridge, soyabeans, leftover meat from a nearby butcher’s shop and bread, and all these ingredients are mixed together in a sumptuous semi-solid mixture. Shashi not only feeds these dogs, but with the help of Sonadi Hospital, makes sure they are sterilized, with treatment and deworming also being carried out through two practicing veterinarians, well known to her. Going the extra mile for her ‘little bundles of joy’ has always been Shashi’s passion, and she also rescues dogs and facilitates their adoption as well. All this is carried out by her with no sponsorship, or other financial help whatsoever.