Mumbai: After a two-year hiatus, this year Diwali was celebrated with much fervour. The happiness all around however failed to rub off on pets and animal lovers – many strays drifted from their habitats and pets were reported missing.
Animal rights activists have spent the last few days taking displaced strays back to their areas. While few feeders could locate them closer to their homes, many had to turn to social media for help.
In Mulund, animal rights activist Sulabh Jain relocated more than 20 stray animals to their original territories in three days. He is aware of their spaces as he feeds over 700 dogs, cats and monkeys daily.
A lost dog whose collar bears the name of J P Sharma as the owner sans contact details, was found in Worli and is being looked after by a local feeder. Another dog Goldie, from Bandra, was found in Santa Cruz on Tuesday.
Loud noise tends to overwhelm animals, especially dogs, whose hearing capacity is twice that of humans. “In an effort to distance themselves from the noise and protect themselves from the perceived danger, animals often cross over from their territories. This can lead to territorial fights, often ending in death of the displaced animal,” said Mitesh Jain, honorary district animal welfare officer of Animal Welfare Board of India. The increased aggression in these animals may also cause distress among human beings.
“Pets are also known to run away from home during Diwali due to the noise. In the aftermath of the shock, they stop eating and refuse food even when local feeders approach them,” said Malad-based Madhu Chanda, animal rights activist and local feeder. She was informed about a lost pet dog who injured his foot while running on the road on Diwali night.
Social media pages of Bombay Animal Rights, a collective of animal lovers, is packed with posts of anguished owners. Bandra-based Sonia Amlani said, “I am looking for owners of three lost dogs, who are at my house now. I am not the only one. We often find these animals roaming around confused and scared, trying to find their way back home.” Not all dog collars have addresses of owners, which makes their task that much more difficult.
Poonam Malhotra Gidwani, founder of the NGO, Save The Paws recommends feeders put up the location of strays around their neck. “Some pet owners even put in a microchip to locate the animals,” she said. She endorsed herbal anti-anxiety medicine for animals which helps to alleviate their stress levels.
Saving birds and animals
While children of Mulund’s Mahavir Residency were busy bursting crackers on Diwali, six-year-old Jiyansh Thakkar noticed an alarmed baby pigeon fluttering around the compound. He rushed to his mother Nisha Thakkar, expressing his intent to help the bird, which was not just terrified of the noise of firecrackers but also humans. Nisha called local animal rights activist Sulabh Jain for help.
By the time Jain arrived, the pigeon had taken refuge under a parked car. “It was unable to fly – when I removed it from under the vehicle, we noticed that the bird’s feet were entangled in a bunch of hair,” said Jain. All efforts to comfort it were in vain and the bird died soon after.
Jain then gathered the kids for an impromptu lesson on harmful effects of crackers on birds and animals. Holding the bird in his hand, an emotional Jiyansh told his parents that he would never ask for crackers. Other kids in the society also joined in and took an oath not to burst loud firecrackers for any festival, ever again.
