burn wounds; pets abandoned and left to
die; large animals abused and forced to work
until their bodies simply give up -- there
are 10 more people willing to stand up and
care for these animals, either by donating
their time or contributing useful items and
hard-earned money. This, combined with
the astounding courage and tenacity of the
animals we treat, is all the fuel we need to
wake up every morning (or night -- RESQ is
practically a 24-hour operation!) and work
our fingers to the bone, working alongside a
community that reminds us every day that
the future is rife with hope and compassion,
if only we work towards it.
Today, I seek solace in the knowledge that
just like Tanya and I, more and more people
are stepping up and taking the initiative to
help animals themselves. While we do not
have a solution to everything ourselves, we
work hard to the best of our ability to ensure
that every individual who finds an animal
in need will at least have somewhere to turn
to; that the transformative power of ‘choice’
is finally in Pune’s hands; that should
another dog in need be found vomiting
and shivering through a freezing night, he
will have a safe place to go to... a haven for
animals just like him. Such is the power of
seizing initiative!
RESQ is currently functioning as emergency
veterinary and trauma hospital for unowned
animals, rehabilitation and rehoming centre,
and wildlife transit unit for the majority of
Pune’s animals
thousands of injured, sick and homeless
dogs, cows, cats, pigs, horses, birds and
wildlife – all in need of emergency medical
attention; all in need of quality care and
rehabilitation. But with limited funds, there
are only so many lives that we can touch.
With the number of animals being reported
to us far outweighing our resources
and manpower, community support is
extremely important for us to be able to
continue our work. Thankfully, if one thing
has become abundantly clear to me over the
past 12 years, it is humanity’s overwhelming
propensity for kindness. For every case of
heinous human cruelty we receive -- dogs
and cats suffering from acid attacks and
* Neha Panchamiya is the Founder
and President of RESQ Charita-
ble Trust, which is Pune's largest
animal rescue NGO. She is also
a member of the Animal Welfare
Monitoring Committee - Pune Zila
Parishad, a Managing Commit-
tee member of the District SPCA
(Pune), and strives every day to
minimise unnecessary animal
suffering and promote peaceful
coexistence for all
July 2019 • Vol. XII • Issue 7 • Noida
29
| Creature Companion