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This Bhayandar resident spends Rs15,000/month to feed 150 strays

LOVING STRAYS: Rajshri Kadam worries for the future of street dogs as their number is increasing exponentially, giving rise to more man-animal conflict

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Animal lover Rajashri Kadam feeds stray dogs in Bhayander
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Meet 45-year-old animal lover Rajshri Kadam. This is a story of her love for strays and the increasing insensitivity of humans towards animals.

Rajshri fell in love with stray dogs when she moved to Bhayandar around nine years back. "There were two puppies in my building compound. Both looked malnourished. Once one of them was injured and when I moved closer to treat him, he had tears in his eyes. It was for the first time I saw tears rolling down a puppy's face. They express every emotion, and love the most," said Rajshri.

Rajshri feeds every street dog in her area. But she is concerned about their future, especially when it comes to the exponential rise in their population.

"There were about 40 dogs two years back and today there are more than 100 in the radius of half a kilometer. I feed them biryani on a daily basis. Since the past two years, it is becoming increasingly difficult for me to feed so many dogs," she laments adding that the Animal Birth Control unit has been dysfunctional.

Feeding 150 dogs a day

Rajshri feeds more than 150 dogs daily at 8.30pm. "Normally, it takes me around three hours to feed them all. But sometimes when I do not spot a particular dog, I search everywhere until I find him. That takes time. I cannot get sleep if even one of them is not fed," said Rajshri.

Earning for a living

Rajshri cooks for a family and earns enough to feed the dogs. She spends Rs15,000 of her monthly earnings just to feed the stray dogs. But lately, she has started to feel the financial crunch. "My husband is no more. I have to take care of myself and my son. I would devote my entire life and time towards the welfare of stray dogs if I had all the money in the world. But sadly, I do not have the money," she lamented.

Need for sterilisation

"Around two years back, dog vans would take away stray dogs for sterilisation and maintained a diary with proper address of the strays. Most of the times, they would return the strays to their exact spot. But in the last two years, I haven't seen any van in the area, and the dogs have not been sterilised. Something needs to be done for their population control soon, otherwise human-animal conflict will take a worse turn," added Rajshri.

Responsible pet owners

Rajshri is a strong advocate of the view that pet owners should make sure that their pets do not create nuisance in the neighbourhood. "I make sure that my dog does not bark much. Everytime he barks, I attend to him and do what is needful. And, whenever guests arrive at my house, I keep my dog in another room so he doesn't bark at them. Everyone should make sure that their pets do not create any trouble for others," said Rajshri.

Adopt a stray

Rajshri keeps a four-year-old stray dog as a pet. "My 21-year-old son brought home a stray around four years back. I feel that everyone should take up this cause of adopting a strays to help them get a family," said Rajshri.

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