Come monsoon, the outdoors feel irresistible. But while most of us enjoy rain-drenched and breezy walks, for the strays on the streets the season spells struggle. Finding a dry corner, staying warm, or even eating a meal without it being ruined by the rain becomes a daily challenge.
“During the monsoons, strays have no shelter from the rain, not even a dry patch to sit on,” says Jigyasa Dhingra, from PawsinPaws (8130725764). Making it her life’s mission, to bring shelter and comfort to strays through her NGO, her task for this monsoon has already begun. “With the very first rainfall of the season, our team of carpenters began building shelters. I started placing these sturdy wooden and fibreglass sheet doghouses with jute beds across Delhi and Gurugram during the rainy months. It’s not just comfort, it’s survival. Even a single dry spot can change a street dog’s life. But these not cheap, and sadly many residents of the area try to get these removed, so we need to plan careful before placing these. At first, dogs are hesitant as if they are being lured into a trap, but once they realise it’s safe, they practically start living in those houses,” adds the 21-year-old.
Some pawsome NCR residents are upcycling old materials, giving these a second life, to create waterproof doghouses using discarded metal. “Inside the house, we are placing beds made of food bags that are waterproof,” shares Aura Bhandari, from the NGO Tales of Tailss (8700380272), adding, “We order 200kg to 300kg of essential food materials for the strays, which comes in waterproof bags. Using the same food bags — so as to lower the carbon footprint — we create these waterproof beds and plates that are otherwise often used to feed the animals and then discarded as trash.”
{{/usCountry}}Some pawsome NCR residents are upcycling old materials, giving these a second life, to create waterproof doghouses using discarded metal. “Inside the house, we are placing beds made of food bags that are waterproof,” shares Aura Bhandari, from the NGO Tales of Tailss (8700380272), adding, “We order 200kg to 300kg of essential food materials for the strays, which comes in waterproof bags. Using the same food bags — so as to lower the carbon footprint — we create these waterproof beds and plates that are otherwise often used to feed the animals and then discarded as trash.”
{{/usCountry}}Amid these efforts, some are making sure to not overlook the critical need to keep food safe and edible during the downpour. That’s why seeking help of a small team comprising his neighbours, Mudit Shekhawat, a 24-year-old IT professional in Gurugram’s Sector 45 is building simple, covered feeding points across his residential locality. “We realised that even when people are kind enough to feed strays, the food often ends up in the open and gets drenched when it rains. It becomes inedible almost immediately... So this year, we’ve started working on dedicated feeding stations in our locality. These are basic structures that provide cover from the rain. We’re keeping it simple with no beds, just shelter over the feeding spot. But even that makes a huge difference.
In heavy downpours, these spaces also become temporary resting places for the dogs. We’ve also started a WhatsApp group (9266355822) called ‘Make Monsoon Better for Strays’. Anyone who spots an area where dogs are suffering or food is getting spoiled can message us, and we figure out how to build something there. It’s a small step, but it’s already making the neighbourhood more compassionate.”