Near a small temple in Saket, an elderly woman sits by a fire on a chilly evening, surrounded by a small army of dogs. 80-year-old Pratima Devi, or Amma to those who know her, is well known in the area, having cared for dogs there, for as long as most locals can recall. But of late, she has run into troubles — the makeshift shelter for dogs has been torn down by the MCD, leaving both, the dogs and their carer, exposed to the elements.

Devi said, “The shelter would run along this section of the street, with a gap for the temple, but now, nothing is left.”

She added, “We are from West Bengal’s Nandigram. I came to Delhi in 1984 because my sons were working here. We have been helping dogs since then.”

What is left now is a few pots and pans in which she cooks food for the dogs, large mats on which they sleep, and a cot near which Amma sits, surrounded by the wreckage.

Devi’s elder son, Sappan, said “I have a home in Sangam Vihar, but my mother will not leave the dogs, and I will not leave her alone.”

Her younger son Tappan said, “The shelter has been demolished before in 2013 and 2018. We have never received any help from authorities to care for the dogs. The dogs here are samajhdaar (understanding), they stay here because we treat them well. They are all vaccinated and sterilised.”

He added, “It is also a matter of understanding the behaviour of dogs…here they are fed properly, so they are calm. Some are stray dogs, some are left here by people…many of them leave their dogs here, but they do not help with the upkeep.”

The shelter came up almost by accident. Sappan said, “Back in 1984, we had a chai shop and our mother used to sell scrap. We had a dog back home…we used to feed 20-25 dogs then. Slowly, the number increased. Since then we have been helping dogs with our friend Pawan. There was a cigarette shop here, which we operated with the shelter to help cover expenses but it was also torn down.”

Sappan, who used to work in the construction sector, but now helps at the shelter full-time said, “To arrange food, we sustain an expense of at least Rs 1.5 lakh per month. The dogs are fed milk, bread, chicken, rice, biscuits and branded dog food. We manage this with the help of donations from people who come to help—some come after seeing movies at a theatre nearby and some dog lovers.” Just as he said this, a couple shows up with donations — biscuits and blankets for the dogs, and a shawl for Amma.

Over the years, they have developed a sense of the dogs’ quirks, and have come up with names for most. An old brown dog, Amitabh, is probably the oldest there. A little dog, Chutki, fiercely growls at a much larger mutt, who hastily makes his retreat. Tappan laughed, “She is a sherni. Other dogs eat only after her.”

Even as the shelter lies in pieces, none of them is inclined to move. Tappan said, “This is not a business, but a sewa for the dogs.”

Woman caring for 200 dogs takes on MCD, HC orders status quo

Arnav ChandrasekharArnav is a trainee reporter with The Indian Express, New Delhi. He cov... read more