COIMBATORE: A decade on, 36-year-old V Arumugam cannot think of a day he missed feeding over 50 stray dogs at GV Residential area in Peelamedu. Though the pandemic has affected Arumugam's business of antique items, he continues to feed and care for the dogs by denting his savings.
Usually, he spent Rs 400 a day on biscuits and meat and fed the canines once a day. Now, the lockdown has increased his daily expenses by Rs 200 as there are no alternate sources of food for them.
Dogs are the true guardians of streets, says Arumugam, who does not want to miss an opportunity to show his gratitude to them. The man who raises three dogs at his house keeps in touch with meat shops and eateries in the locality to get the day's unsold meat to feed his friends.
"Every dog in the locality knows my house. If I take time to feed them some days, they will come looking for me and bark lovingly. Sometimes, the dogs become unwell. I take them to clinics and nurse them at home until their recovery. I also get them sterilised and regularly apply lotion to prevent any skin allergy," he explains.
Arumugam's service has met several oppositions from the locals. Some of them have also damaged a big pot which he placed on the street to quench the dogs' thirst. Amid all struggles, it is Arumugam's unconditional love for animals that keeps him going.