Thursday, 27 May 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
During the Covid-curfew when stray animals are struggling to find food, Pithoragarh resident Shruti Lohani has been providing food and care to stray animals every day.
Earlier the stray animals were habituated to securing their food from restaurants and roadside eateries. However, with these outlets now shut and most people remaining indoors due to the Covid-curfew, the stray animals are finding it harder to find food. “Now due to hunger, there is behavioral change in animals as they are now more aggressive and sometimes they end up hurting each other badly while fighting. Many have been starving due to lack of food,” said Lohani while stressing that during this crisis there’s a huge food scarcity for stray animals.
Lohani has been providing animals like dogs, cats, cows with rice, milk, bread, biscuits and other food items in Pithoragarh town depending on the funds she has. Sometimes local residents also join in for providing food to street animals. She usually feeds around 40 to 50 dogs twice a day in the morning and evening and also drops off the meals at different places around the city for more animals.
“I have developed a good bond with them and now they all identify me and meet me at the same place everyday,” said Lohani. She urges people to take care of the animals in their localities until the Covid-curfew ends as the animals on the road are worst affected and are suffering from starvation.
She further said, “The local police help me a lot during the curfew as they know what I do daily. The local veterinarian is also very supportive and has been treating animals to help ease the pain and in helping and undertaking the treatment of the rescued animals.”
Lohani said that there is no shelter home for stray animals in the city and the one which she had earlier and was provided by the municipality was later broken down by some alcoholics.
