“If I don’t rescue them, how will they live on the streets? There is no one to take care of them,” says Amee. Amee is a resident of Horamavu, Bengaluru and she rescues dogs ill-treated by the society. She nurtures them in her own house, where 53 dogs now have taken over every single inch of space, including Amee’s own room. Amee opened her home’s door to rescued dogs 12 years ago and she has not looked back ever since.
Now, Amee works with Tesco during the daytime and the rest of her day is dedicated towards her dogs. Her heart cries out at the way some people in Bengaluru treat stray dogs. Amee’s rescues are primarily stray dogs who are very weak or have developed medical conditions due to neglect by the community.
Amee has also rescued dogs from pet owners who have been very abusive towards their pets. So, she is very particular about which families her puppies get adopted into. The older dogs stay with Amee at her shelter as very few families adopt them. She has a Facebook page dedicated to all of them, aptly named ‘Amee’s Angels’.
While she is a very loving momma to all the dogs in her shelter, she occasionally also has to play the role of a disciplinarian whenever there is an addition of a member to the family. She has employed two people to help her manage the operations of feeding and nurturing such a large pack of dogs. Their salaries are paid by a couple of good samaritans who understand Amee’s cause and her dedication.
Expressing concern, Amee says, “There are a few generous people who keep donating rice, chicken, and dog food. But, with the spiralling costs, it becomes difficult to manage the situation of funds every once in a while.” The cost of running the house has seen a steep increase, now to almost Rs 1 lakh per month because of the growing family size as well as medical treatment required based on need.
While Amee has had a share of trouble with her past landlords and neighbours, her current landowner has been quite supportive. He has also promised to help her with the construction of a compound wall around the entire plot. This would give her angels a lot of space to play. But, the construction of the wall is stuck currently for the want of funds and required permissions. She is running a crowdfunding campaign on Milaap for raising funds from the crowd for their care and dietary requirements.
The thought of even taking a break from providing for her pooches hasn’t crossed her mind. Her, as well as her angels’ spirits, get lifted up whenever they have visitors. Do visit her in Horamavu to motivate her and hang out with her dogs. We hope she gets all the courage and support required for persisting with the cause of her angels.
This article was originally published in The Optimist Citizen.
