From providing a wheelchair for a paralysed dog to bottlefeeding a litter of pups, Anand goes the extra mile in helping rescued dogs, says SRIYA NARAYANAN
Anand Krishnan Srinivasan takes on challenges that very
few others dare to. The professional dog groomer who is just in his
twenties is known to animal welfare circles in Chennai as a hero who
turns seemingly hopeless situations into fairytale endings. A few years
ago, he and two of his friends rescued a dog that had been paralysed by a
hit-and-run driver in Oragadam.
They picked up the
dog that had been lying in agony and got him medical treatment. When the
veterinarian diagnosed that the handsome mongrel could never use his
hind legs again, Anand adopted him, gifted him a custom-made wheelchair
cart and named him Remy Martin. Remy is now a healthy, mischievous pet
who skates around through his apartment and enjoys the company of
Anand’s other pets. These pets include black cats that he adopted as
kittens, after seeing that they were shunned or treated badly by people
for superstitious reasons.
Anand’s most recent rescue
was four times as magical, for it involved a litter of four puppies
that he played father figure to - from the time they were newborns. His
friends rescued them when they were just a few days old, after hearing
that their mother had been run over and killed in an accident. “They
were tiny… the size of my palm”, remembers Anand fondly. “And their eyes
were still closed”.
He set to work with a feeding
bottle and puppy formula, and the hungry pups held on for dear life. For
three weeks, Anand continued this process and held his breath, heaving a
sigh of relief when they graduated to drinking from a bowl. His
greatest reward was watching them blossom from squealing young ones to
boisterous, beautiful pups with distinct personalities.
He
nicknamed the largest pup Gundu on account of his plump frame and his
eagerness to finish his share of solid food and then start nibbling from
his siblings’ plates. Gundu’s identical brother is a social butterfly,
while the third brother is a shy one that hides when visitors arrive,
only to creep out moments later and begin playing hyperactively. The
fourth pup is their only sister – she flaunts a black, shiny coat and is
nicknamed ‘cartoon’ for the funny faces she makes and her clown-like
behaviour. Anand is now all set to relocate to his hometown Mumbai to
pursue a career in companion animal care, but is eager to find adoptive
homes for the puppies. “An ideal home is one that will never abandon
their pet”, says Anand who adds that it will be a blessing to see them
go to homes that will treat them like children and appreciate the
unconditional love they give in return.
To adopt any of these two-month-old Indian puppies that are healthy, friendly and vaccinated, call 9884714699 or 9840411759
