Jain teens of Karnataka's Tumakuru ensure street dogs are properly fed during lockdown

During two months of lockdown, they developed affection with the animals that from feeding them with rice, milk and biscuits they have now switched to feed vegetarian pedigree.
Jain teens feeding a dog in Tumakuru. (Photo | Express)
Jain teens feeding a dog in Tumakuru. (Photo | Express)

TUMAKURU: For this team of a dozen Jain community youths, mostly teenagers, fulfilment during the lockdown period has come from feeding over 200 street dogs that they have done silently for almost two months from now.

One of the teams including Darshith, Jainam, Meeth, and Veer studying in class X and XI have developed such a friendly relationship filled with compassion that they are prepared to feed these dogs until their classes start. 

At 6.30 a.m daily, three teams pay a visit to the 'bhojanalaya'(kitchen) set up at the 'Gunchi' Square here and pick up the food prepared, mostly rice and milk, and disperse in different directions of the city to feed the dogs. 

"If some dogs do not like the rice and milk, we have an alternative of biscuits. For the puppies the green vegetarian pedigree as well from today onwards", remarked Darshith while feeding them pedigree at a lodge behind Regional Transport Office (RTO).

Jainam has an ordinary dog groomed at his house and five more outside and feels happy to feed both in a friendly manner.

The other team members including Aryan, Akshay, Daksh, Tarang, Naman, Pratheik, Agam, Vansh, and Laksh look after the dogs in different areas during the lockdown to ensure they are properly fed.

"However, two of the dogs died as one had suffered a stroke and another was ailing with a disease before we started feeding", they recalled. They even reached out to the dogs and puppies at the industrial estates. 
There were instances of the residents objecting to feed the dogs outside their houses as they felt it a 'nuisance' but the youth obliged and discovered alternative places.

The team managed to rope in the philanthropists from their community as it required Rs 1,200 per day as an expenditure. "We humans can eat when we desired and who will feed the street dogs especially when the eateries closed down with no leftovers for them. We will get holiness through this noble job", they said.

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The New Indian Express
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