Rescuing animals with a touch of love
Hyderabad: Animal rights activists and humanitarians have long raised their voice against animal cruelty. In a quest to give a better life to animals that are tortured, injured and abandoned, these activists go out of their way to rescue them. In the city too, there are several people who have worked for the welfare of animals. However, if there is one animal rescuer whose number is on every animal lovers dial list, it is Teja Panneeru.
Hyderabad-based animal rights activist Teja loved animals since a very young age and wanted to do something to help them lead a better life. His mother, who is a lecturer, often took tuitions at home, and one of her students was a member of the Blue Cross. “When he told me about the kind of work they do, I was amazed. I decided to join them and do whatever little I could. I was 15 at that time,” shares Teja.
Teja’s parents were very supportive of him rescuing animals and even bringing the injured home. “In fact, till date my mother cooks for all the dogs we have in our home. My father plays with them and ensures that each one of them stays healthy. That gives me courage to go out and help more and more animals.”
Over the last 13 years that Teja has worked tirelessly for the animals, he has rescued over a thousand animals. Apart from working as an individual rescuer, Teja has also worked with animal welfare societies such as Blue Cross, People for Animals (PFA) and Humane Society International (HSI). He is also an Honorary Animal Welfare Officer (HAWO).
But rescuing an animal is not such an easy job, he says. “Many times if the animal is in pain and has experienced assault at the hands of a human, they don’t allow us to go near them. So, they become aggressive. In such cases, I wait and let the animal come to us. There was an incident when a dog was stuck in a tunnel and wasn’t willing to be touched at all. So I waited patiently for about an hour for it to come out.”
While stray dogs that are hurt physically, heal; the dogs that are abandoned by their owners, need a lot of support. “People love keeping fancy dogs as status symbol. But once they get the dog home, they know nothing about how to take care of it. Some of the foreign dog breeds have a lot of issues adjusting to the Indian climate, and can get sick easily. So, the owners just leave them, alone, without any food or water. These dogs are not just heartbroken, they are also very scared. So, in such cases, I make it a point to spend as much time with the dog as possible. It takes time, but it’s worth the effort,” he says.
Teja’s work is not just limited to dogs and cats. “I once rescued a few camels in the city,” he shares Teja, adding, “A few years ago PFA was notified that someone was importing camels to the city for Bakrid. We reached the spot and informed local Police. The case even went in the court and it was ruled in our favour, and asked authorities to safely transport them to Rajasthan.”
Teja is also a professional dog trainer and behaviourist. On a parting note, Teja shares that he wishes animal welfare to become a part of every curriculum across the education boards. “If we teach them how to take care of the animals in school itself, we might be able to create a more compassionate society for animals.”
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