When the world seems scary and all hope seems lost; as Fred Rogers said- ‘Look for the helpers and you’ll always find them’.
Saving animals from nasty road accidents is city-based NGO Bodhisattva. Mojdeh Farashahi, the founder and a zealous animal lover talks to us about the drive that places reflective collars on scores of street dogs across the city.
“Road accidents involving animals in the absence of street lights are inevitable. People can’t always spot an animal crossing the road or passing by. But a crash is dangerous for both the animal as well as humans. Bikers and cyclists can fall while other vehicles are also impacted by this. The poor animal most likely loses its life and we hope to prevent all this with reflective collars,” explains Mojdeh.
Mojdeh admits that monsoon complicates matters as casualties double owing to poor visibility. “Heavy rainfall also causes slippery roads that increase the risk of accidents. Reflective collars are an apt way to avoid such calamities. They help commuters notice the flash of their vehicle’s headlights on the collars. This helps them avoid hitting the animal.”
They explored a number of collar designs including button collars, elastic and Velcro ones. However, she deems their current design the best. “The buckle collar is easy to put on and adjustable to fit the dog’s neck,” she explains.
The collar
Costs just over Rs. 35 per piece in bulk.
Easy to secure on to animals.
Causes a bright flash reflecting vehicle headlights
Designed by Tushar Shinde from Indore, these reflective collars ensure fewer of our beloved mutts end up as road-kill.
Speaking about the areas covered, Mojdeh affirms that collars have been placed on canines in Koregaon park, Dholepatil road, Race Course and the surrounding areas.
“It has been quite heartening to see Puneites rise to the occasion and volunteer. So far we’ve distributed collars to rickshawalas, feeders and even street vendors familiar with dogs so that they could slip them on the canines. Additionally, we have a lot of sponsors, animal lovers and animal welfare groups volunteering. But, we could always use more!
Though the NGO is working towards corporate funding, they welcome individual donations. “We’d like to distribute these collars to other local groups. It is the best way to ensure the safety of maximum pooches,” says Mojdeh.
For the record, the drive that started off with 500 collars, has received a 100 more in donation courtesy Pune365.
However, Mojdeh believes this is just the beginning. “We have a long way to go and must tackle this on a large scale to safeguard as many street dogs as possible.”
This project is underway for cows too, in addition to street dogs in other parts of our country.
#Readers who may wish to contribute to this mission may mail us on editorial@pune365.com and we would be happy to connect you with Bodhisattva.
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