With Kolkata reeling under lockdown, citizens come together to feed strays

Kolkata: Have you encountered a familiar stray dog behave in an aggressive way in the past week? In all probability, it’s because he was starving. With the city in lockdown mode and eateries and food vendors shut, stray animals that feed on the leftovers, have been left nibbling at nothing.
Hopefully, not for too long. A group of animal lovers have formed online groups to feed stray dogs and cats in neighbourhoods around them.
Fashion designer Nandita Thirani has contacted a member of people residing at her apartment in a building off Theatre Road to join her in feeding strays on Camac Street, Russel Street, Park Street, Short Street, Wood Street and Chowringhee.
She has appealed on the WhatsApp group of the apartment for help and asked them to put their leftovers and a little extra in boxes at specific points from where she will pick up and distribute.
On Thursday morning, she and her daughter Anuradha, were seen distributing rice and chicken to dogs in these localities. “There’s no time to waste. It’s been over 48 hours that they have gone hungry. These stretches teem with food vendors on whom the dogs depend for food. With the stalls shut since Saturday, they are starving,” she said.
KMDA employee Deboshree Ganguly and her husband Kuntal Ghosh, was seen in several Salt Lake Blocks, Karunamoyee and Central Park, feeding strays. The duo have been passionately doing this for seven years now but have now extended their radius because of lockdown.
They already have neighbour Hansa Patodia with them. “We are a bit tense. Till date, we needed 450 kilos of rice but this time it will increase. However, even if we manage funds, we are not sure of the supplies. Hansa aunty is trying to contact suppliers,” Deboshree said.
An appeal to feed helpless strays has gone out from Stray Love, a shelter for strays run by Mystic Yoga Foundation, that is taking care of 125 strays. Sudhir, Chiroshree and Abhishek, the founders have connected with friends all over city to start feeding at the earliest.