MANGALURU: This 40-year-old woman has been lauded for her bravery after she rescued a stray dog which had fallen into a 30-ft deep old well in Mangaluru. Rajani Damodar Shetty, a homemaker who hails from Mumbai, has been living in Doddahitlu in Mangaluru for the past 24 years, since her marriage. An ardent animal lover, what Rajani did on January 30 can be easily labelled ‘astonishing’.
When a group of men at Ballalbagh in city tried for hours and failed to rescue a dog fallen into the well, Rajani was called to the spot. “I have rescued stray animals and have been feeding them.
But I have never taken such a huge risk in my life. However, on seeing the dog trapped in the well in 12 feet of water, I could not stop myself. I tied a rope to myself, entered the well and rescued the dog,” says Rajani, who does not know swimming.
She has been taking care of over 14 stray dogs in her home. She also feeds over 150 stray dogs daily and treats animals which meet with accidents, along with her family members. Ever since the video of Rajani’s dog rescue mission went viral, she says her phone has been flooded with calls.