Rescuing animals a social responsibility, says animal rescuer Sanjeev Nag
Techie-turned-animal rescuer Sanjeev Nag has saved hundreds of street dogs over the last decade
Hyderabad: We see a lot of dog adoption alerts or videos of injured animals being rescued on social media and do little beyond scrolling past it. We also see street dogs injured or hurt on the streets and drive by, oblivious to their suffering but some, like Sanjeev Nag, take it upon themselves to help the animal.
Nag, who was an IT professional, started rescuing street animals a decade ago and now he has quit his job to be a full time animal rescuer. Having rescued hundreds of street animals over the years, he also houses several of them at his home.
For him, the love that his pet dog showed during his childhood and an experience later during his college years led him towards taking it up. “Dogs give you love unconditionally and I had a pet dog for a long time while growing up. That is where I learnt to be compassionate towards animals. Later in life, when I was in college, I was going somewhere with a friend and I saw an injured dog. I then tried getting the dog some help and found an elderly man who came to the spot, well prepared with food, water and other necessities to help treat the dog. Seeing him act like that impacted me and I started off then,” shares Sanjeev.
According to him, rescuing animals and ensuring we also help control their population is collective social responsibility. “We wouldn’t leave an injured human on the road and I feel the same should apply for animals. Apart from that, if you take an injured or sick street animal to the veterinarian and also get it neutered, it will help control their population in a safe manner,” he says.
When he gets information about an injured or sick animal, he rushes to the spot and assesses the situation. If the animal can be treated right there, he does that or he takes it to the vet. “In many cases, I treat the animal on the street by cleaning its wound, giving it Ivermectin and food. But in severe cases where the animal needs to be rehabilitated and nursed back to health, I get it treated and then take it home,” says Sanjeev. After the animal is healthy again, he releases it back in its locality. If it is a puppy, he puts it up for adoption.
To sustain these activities, he offers boarding services for dogs. “I don’t specifically charge anything and I clearly tell people that whatever they are paying me to board their dog, it directly goes to my animal rescue activities. In fact, people are supportive enough to send their dogs to me and donate for the cause,” shares Sanjeev.
On being asked if it is passion that drives him, he said it isn’t. “This is not my passion as my passion is adventure sports and travelling. When I have enough money, I will definitely go skydive. I look at rescuing animals as my responsibility and if anything, I believe every human should feel the same as we have the ability to be compassionate and the ability to help heal,” he concludes.
Sanjeev Nag can be contacted on 9652218080.
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