I still remember the day, March 22, like it was just yesterday when my mum came to me and said, “Swati, I have a job for you.” I obviously exclaimed and said, “no way, I am not going anywhere in the lockdown.” Little did I know what my mom had in mind.
My mom, Praveen Rekhi, is an RWA office-bearer, and as soon as the first Janata Curfew came into effect on March 22, the RWA formed a Covid Task Force to take care of various issues that the public would possibly face.
And, with all the restaurants, dhabas and butcher shops shut, feeding strays was one. So, my mom told me that I have to organise a few volunteers to take care of the stray dogs in and around our society M3M Golf Estate, Gurugram.
I went about society to find some dog lovers who would be happy to pitch in. And soon we were 10, and we gave ourselves the name M3M Volunteers.
At first, there were only 10 dogs and three packs, but slowly the dogs brought their ‘friends’ and ‘girlfriends’. More food and plates were required. But by this time, many people had joined me in this cause and began donating fresh or leftover food daily. Today, we feed 45 dogs. This was a family I never asked for, but I was blessed with during the lockdown. I sense their happiness when they see me.
Every day from 6:30-8:00pm, I am occupied dealing with 45 dogs, some pigs and a few over friendly cows. Once I even got bitten by a mother dog after her pup cried because I got late in feeding him. I had to get a rabies shot. During this lockdown and feeding the dogs, I learnt a new skill – animal communication.I can talk to dogs telepathically.
The conversations that I had with them were sometimes funny and sometimes heated. If they weren’t given food I was scolded at and when they were given something that they loved, I was flirted with. I guess engaging with these dogs and discovering inner peace through them has kept me away from the stress of corona.
This also is the beginning of a life-long journey with stray animals, especially dogs. I have always believed that Indie dogs are much better than foreign breeds. They adjust better to homes and climate.
These days, we not only feed them, but are also getting them sterilised. Surely, we don’t want their population to go out of our hands! Swati Rekhi, a student at GD Goenka University, Gurugram, is a proud parent of two Indie dogs, Tara and Angel.