Maria’s mission

Maria realised that she was meant to do this. “I stood in those narrow lanes and saw these helpless animals,who had no one to take care of them. People pet the good-looking ones; no one seemed to care for those who were ill,” she says.

Ever since,Maria has taken upon herself the task to look after the canines. A native of Poland,she had settled in Alaska many years ago,and worked as a manager at a restaurant at the Denali National Park from May to September.

Every year,Maria would visit Delhi for three to four months,just to take care of the dogs in Paharganj. She made it a routine to visit the chaiwallah,Vikram,every day at 4 pm. This was Maria’s chance to meet Kalo. “He would always be under a car,refusing to come out. Kalo was hit by a rickshaw and couldn’t walk much. Maria gently pulled Kalo out and rushed him to the animal care centre,” says Vikram.

Within the next few days,Kalo had a metal plate inserted and was walking. Kalo was left in the care of an animal centre in Haryana. A year later,she returned and the first thing she did was visit Kalo. “He heard me from a distance and came charging at me. He remembered me and I couldn’t stop crying,” she says.

Maria has 18 dogs of her own and volunteers at various animal care centres in USA such as ‘Paws’. “It’s the greatest feeling,” she says. If one walks into Paharganj and asks for Maria,every shopkeeper has only one response: “Arre,who jo kutton ke liye kaam karti hai? Shayad hospital gayi hongi unka vaccination karwane (Oh,that woman who works for the dogs? Perhaps,she is at the hospital getting them vaccinated).” As she makes her way across Paharganj,whistling,many dogs follow,wary of those around her. “They are possessive about me,” she laughs.

With Maria,one thing is certain. She will come back. And there will be many more like Rajo and Kalo,who will owe her a debt of gratitude. And life.