THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: He sets off from his home at 7 pm every day after loading his car with freshly prepared food to feed stray animals who eagerly wait for his arrival for their daily meal. This has been the daily routine of Ganesh Kumar, a 47-year-old good samaritan, ever since the lockdown was declared in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ganesh drives through the city in his car and feeds around 150 stray dogs to help them survive the lockdown. He makes sure to take the same route every day and at the same time so that he doesn’t disappoint his four-legged friends.
"People are confining themselves indoors and only stray dogs are seen on the streets. Things have changed overnight for stray dogs. With the shutting down of restaurants and street-side eateries, these animals were facing starvation. Being an animal lover I wanted to do my bit. This is the first time I am doing something like this and I feel overwhelmed and content," says Ganesh, who owns a kennel.
He covers an average of 35 kilometres daily stopping at spots with more dog population. "I start from my house in Ooruttambalam and cover many places in the city as well as the adjoining areas. I have started getting calls from people alerting me to locations where strays have been spotted. Because it is summer, animals come out on the roads in the evening, that is when I go feed them. I spend around Rs 600 every day for fuel expenses alone," says Ganesh.
Pravachambalam, Fort, Attakulangara, Enchakkal, Subhash Nagar, All Saints' College Jn, PMG, Secretariat, Palayam, Pettah and Palkulangara are some of the areas he covers. "Currently, I have 17 dogs at my kennel. I got into the breeding business at a very young age. I have set up a special cooking facility for preparing food for dogs at the kennel. I am now using it to make food for strays. Because of the lockdown, I have to go to multiple shops to get meat and other raw materials. I am serving the same food for my dogs at the kennel and the strays," Ganesh adds. He uses a traditional firewood stove when he runs out of gas.