When I was 18 years old and flying a kite on my terrace, I found a completely blind pigeon with crows attacking him. I immediatley shooed the crows and took the pigeon to my flat (apartment). My younger brother gave him water, and he drank it very quickly.
At that time I knew that there was a veterinarian, but I didn't know how to get him to treat the pigeon. Then my cousin told me to go see this one girl who treats animals. She immediately took the pigeon and treated him with homeopathic medicine.
In her house I found parrots, dogs, a guinea pig, and a tortoise. When I
asked her about the animals, she said that she was an government Animal Welfare Officer, and all these animals/birds were starys or rescued from sellers and under rehabilitation. She was also a member of a nature club, and it was through this club that she did the rescue work!
That was the day in my life when my thinking about animalschanged.
She taught me that animals and birds cannot speak for themselves, and we only have to feel their pain. She told me that if you learn to treat animals or free a bird from a cage, you will be blessed by God, and you can see the happy faces of those honest animals.
Then I started feeding dogs and started training under her to treat wounded dogs and cats. I became a member of People For Animals, our country's largest charity for animals welfare. But with the so much politics I cound not work in the club or with other organizations. So I decided to start PAWS.
It has taken two years to learn how to treat animals, then where to admit cattle, and where all the hospitals and shelters are located. But I contacted other volunteers and got PAWS registered. Meanwhile, I became an honorary Animal Welfare Officer with the Animal Welfare Board of the government of India.
After registration of PAWS, I built a small pigeon shelter (because the pigeon I first took in had died). Then our veterinarian, Dr. Hukkeri, who had started treating our animals free of cost and gave us space in his bunglow to use as an animal clinic, helped us to set up the clinic and fill it with medicines. Now our members/volunteers bring animals for treatment, and we treat them free of
cost.
Then the SPCA of Ahmadnager gave us a special gift--a van! We modified it and started the Animal Ambulance service.
Now people recognize me and my work. By email or phone request, people gives us donations, too, but my end aim is to start a full-fledged animal hospital. We are searching for land for that now, and I hope my dream will come into existance very soon. Please pray to God for this!
--Nilesh has been a vegetarian since birth and lives in Bombay, India where he does his "hardcore animal welfare activist" work. He is 22 years old and 99% vegan.
