BENGALURU: Stories of people collecting relief material for the flood-affected are not uncommon in the wake of the recent North Karnataka crisis. But this sports club in the city decided to go a step further in their efforts by collecting material for animals affected by floods in the state. Who is the inspiration behind Bengaluru FC’s campaign? Dimitar, a pet dog at the club.
“I rescued Dimitar, an Indian pariah dog, six years ago. Since then, he’s a part of our club and stays inside the building,” says Kunaal Majgaonkar, Bengaluru FC media manager. Dimi even has a Twitter handle under his name (@dimibluepooch), which promotes animal adoptions and rescue projects. “At the time of the floods, a member of our management got to know that Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), a non-profit organisation, has rescued many dogs during the floods. They need food material and medicines for them. So, we thought we will help them as much as we can,” adds Majgaonkar.
CUPA is working with the Animal Husbandry Department, Karnataka, in order to distribute relief material such as essential veterinary medicines, dog food, nutritional supplements, cattle fodder, and most importantly, veterinary assistance. “There are hundreds of animals displaced and hungry due to the floods. We are distributing dog food to the teams onfield to ensure that there are enough resources available to them,” says Ajay Arjun, head of projects and resources at CUPA.
Bengaluru FC posted a message about their relief material collection drive on August 21 on Dimi’s Twitter page. The club is collecting Pedigree, supplements (Agrimin Forte, Bolus Sulphadimadine, Ecotas Bolus, Meloxicam Plus Bolus, Steclin), injections (Oxytetracyclin, Dicrysticin, Dexamathasone, Prednisolone, Melonex Plus, Belamil Cadistin) and powders (Neblon, Ruchamax, Bufzone). “It’s great to see people come forward to help. Last weekend, we received many items and people are still contributing. We are planning to collect the items till August 30,” adds Aakash Vinay, a Bengaluru FC member.
To donate material, visit the club’s office at Ashok Nagar.