CUTTACK: As the summer knocks at the door and Cuttack city braces for the incoming four to five months of sweltering conditions, Sushree Sangita Rout has already begun making her move.
The 37-year-old homemaker from Tinigharia under Nua Bazaar has put up water pots at different places of the city, specifically meant for stray animals and birds to quench their thirst. Not only that, she is also deeply engaged in rescuing injured animals and ensuring medical care for them, most often shouldering the whole expenses herself.
On most days, before finishing her household chores, Sushree steps out with a mission - to make sure no stray animal in her neighbourhood goes thirsty. This year alone, Sushree has placed about 25 such pots across areas such as Nua Bazaar, Mahanadi Vihar, Ranihat, Chauliaganj, Kalyan Nagar, CDA and Chahata. She has also placed orders for 25 more water pots, which she plans to install in different areas of Bhubaneswar to support street animals during this summer.
Each pot costs around Rs 400. She raised a small amount of Rs 2,000 from friends and relatives and paid the rest with the support of her husband. But placing the pots was only the first step. To ensure they are filled daily, she reached out to neighbours and volunteers. Slowly, others began to join her. Today, a few families in her locality have started keeping water pots outside their homes too.
“If we humans feel thirsty in summer, imagine how these animals feel on the streets without water. Everyone should take such initiative and show a little compassion towards these animals to protect them from the scorching weather,” she says.
However, Sushree’s compassion is not limited to arranging water for street animals. She has also involved herself in animal rescue and rescued more than 40 animals, including injured cows, dogs, cats and even a monkey, in both Cuttack and Bhubaneswar in last one year.
For Sushree, compassion for animals began in childhood. She remembers watching her father, a schoolteacher in Kujanga and Erasama, tending to injured animals on the roadside. “When I was a child, I used to see how my father treated wounded animals on the streets in the Kujanga and Erasama areas. I was deeply inspired to do the same since,” she says.
Last year, one incident changed her resolve. An injured pregnant cow lay on a Cuttack street for hours waiting for help. By the time assistance arrived, the calf could not be saved. The delay left her shaken. “It happened as the rescue van took more than two hour to reach the spot. From that moment, I decided to devote more time to the cause of these stray animals,”she says.
Her husband Jitendra Rout, who works in a pharmaceutical company, stands firmly by her side. “He supports me financially in taking up these initiatives, including arranging treatment for injured cows and dogs on the streets,” Sushree explains.
Her work has drawn others in. Poonam Singh (31), a resident of Mahanadi Vihar, has joined her and now supports her in most rescue operations. “I had always wanted to work for animals in our area but never got the desired support. However, when I saw Sushree rescuing an animal in our area last year, I decided to lend a helping hand to her in this noble work. Since then, we have been working together,” Poonam says.
Krishna Nayak, founder of a Gaushala in Bhubaneswar, has also been helping and supporting her team in carrying out this work. Additionally, her family members, including her father, elder sister and other relatives extend their support. Not to be left behind, her son, who is in Class X and appearing for his board exams, has also started getting involved in this noble cause.
Sushree also uses special days to spread awareness. On Pakhala Divas last year, she fed over two dozen stray cattle. On Valentine’s Day this year, she distributed food to animals to raise awareness and motivate people to show empathy towards the stray animals, who often struggle to find food in urban areas and face cruelty.
She acknowledges that her work has been able to draw attention and appreciation. Nowadays, she receives SOS calls for rescuing injured or distressed stray animals.
Sushree dreams of starting a small shelter of her own someday. Until then, she continues her daily round, filling pots, answering calls and offering care.