Following one’s heart

Chinmulgund had always had pets while growing up,and was therefore fond of animals from an early age. When she moved to Pune ten years ago,she began to find abandoned kittens or pups on the road and picking them up. “I couldn’t bear to see those poor animals wandering alone on the streets,” she says. “I would care for them and approach veterinarians and pet shops,trying to spread the word and have them adopted.”

Chinmulgund,who now has 16 cats and five dogs of her own,continues to try and help as many abandoned and stray animals find homes as she can. “When I find a stray kitten or pup,the first thing I do is bring it home and try and revive it back to health,” she says,“I feed it and nurse it. Then I try and find it a home by spreading the word,mainly through vets and pet stores,but also via the Internet.”

When it comes to feeding the animals and treating health problems,Mitali doesn’t always do it on her own. “A lot of people like to donate provisions like food to help these animals. I’m grateful to them. It’s quite helpful,because with the number of animals that I bring in,I require a lot of food to feed them,” she adds with a laugh. “As to the healthcare they need,over the years,I have learned to identify and treat certain health problems such as worms or a bad stomach. But if its something peculiar or too serious for me to handle,I take them to the vet.”

Although she is passionate about what she does to help these creatures,she prefers to do it on her own. “I find it easier to care for these animals independently,rather than be affiliated with an NGO or an animal welfare group,” she says,“I make my own decisions on which animals I take in,how I care for them and how I help them get adopted. Its more practical for me that way. Though I do participate in projects conducted by organisations such as Blue Cross or People For Animals,I’d rather work on my own.” Chinmulgund recently helped out at an adoption camp organised by People for Animals and Jeev Raksha Support Group,where some of the animals rescued by her got adopted.