| Feed A Dog - The Stories |
Ketaki, a working professional and a dog lover
I have been a dog lover since my childhood. I have grown up playing with at least 7 dogs in my house. The one thing which was always at the back of my mind, that I really wanted to do when I grew up, was to start earning good bucks so that I could help stray dogs. But somehow this thought got lost in my day-to-day life. Then about a year ago, I was introduced to Dhyan Foundation through a friend and I met Yogi Ashwini, the guiding light of Dhyan Foundation. Low on self-confidence, I was hesitant to approach Him. But one day, out of the blue, at one of the Dhyan sessions at Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan, He Himself asked me if I would be willing to feed stray dogs. He explained that a lot of dogs were going to suffer in the scorching summer heat. I was taken aback! The voice in my head asking,‘How does He know?!’ It refreshed the memories of past, how much I loved dogs, how much I wanted this. Thanks to Sir (as Yogi Ashwini is fondly called) and the Dhyan Foundation, that I am now cherishing and living my long lost dream.
When the fad (feed a dog) initiative started, I was too conscious. ‘What will people think? What would they make of me standing at every corner of the street, calling out to stray dogs to come and eat?’ Even the dogs used to think twice before coming to me! Hehe…but things changed very soon. And today I don’t have to run after them, infact it is they who get excited and start jumping around me like kids jumping at the prospect of getting candy! And kids they are truly. My kids! :)
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Sneh Chibba, Home-maker
I have always been scared of reptiles and dogs. On my birthday, I wanted to do something ‘noble’ but didn’t know what. It occurred to me why not feed stray dogs. If I can throw a lavish party for my friends and family, the least I can do for my ‘canine friends’ was to buy them a decent meal. I am a regular at Dhyan sessions at Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan and like to involve myself with the many service initiatives run by Dhyan Foundation. The inspiration came from one such initiative- fad. ‘Feed A Dog’ or fad is how I took my first step towards dogs. The fear was very much there and the first time ever I fed them, was while I sat in the car itself! But the fear and hesitancy is all history now. The magic happened when one day, I saw new-born puppies on the road next to my house. I told myself, “Sneh you have to get over your fear for their sake!” And it wasn’t easy! But I had to do it for them. Compare those days of apathy to today; when I especially buy food for them and every time I see puppies drinking milk from the same bowl, it fills my heart with just so much love! All thanks to Dhyan Foundation fad for giving me the inspiration. Now I try to contribute, in whatever manner possible and am a proud fad volunteer!
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Shivangi Bhardwaj, Designer
Charity begins at home. It could also begin outside on the street, behind the bins, under the cars or underground in the drains.
My experience with fad has been extremely humbling. We go out with food & milk and come back with many new friends who are eager to see us return the next day.
Always hesitant at first, the dogs approach the food bowls with distrust. Once the volunteers are judged harmless, the food is hungrily gobbled. What follows is a happy tail wag and the mute question “Is there more?”
Yet sometimes, food is not enough to encourage a scared animal out of its hiding. In these special cases, a bowl is left for it along with a silent apology for whatever caused it distress and a prayer for its well-being.
The process of winning their trust can sometimes be very slow but in the end it all proves worth it, especially now, when I am followed by an entourage of wagging tails. It’s a continuous challenge to include the shy ones while the pack bullies jump around for maximum attention. And this is not just my story, but the story of the numerous fad volunteers around the country who are all eagerly awaited everyday and welcomed with a loud welcome by their ‘best friends’.
The FAD initiative of Dhyan Foundation has brought me face to face with a grim reality but has also given me the courage and means to work towards the plight of street dogs.
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Manas Roy, Student
My experience with fad has been most rewarding. I have all along had an affinity towards dogs and ever since I started conducting fad drives in my neighbourhood, I have experienced this most extraordinary feeling- the feeling of caring for someone without any selfish motive. It made me realise how self-centred human beings really are, and how beautiful this feeling of selfless love truly is. Fad has been a most humbling experience for me.
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