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“People look at me and wonder, ‘Why is she roaming on the streets, getting inside the drain and touching these dirty animals?’ I can’t bear to see them suffering, I can’t see their pain. And when I know I can heal and save them, it is very difficult to close my eyes and walk away. I will continue doing this for the rest of my life.” - Minu Singh, animal rights activist
Even as a 6-year-old, Minu Singh found joy in her animal friends. Every day, Minu would wait excitedly for her mother to give her two extra rotis, which she would feed to the animals. It was on one such occasion that she met Moti.
Moti was a black male adult dog who had instantly taken a liking to Minu and vice versa. Minu’s two rotis were divided among 2 or more cows, but Moti always had the first bite. It is his expression of joy and satisfaction that touched her immensely.
“I was a small girl, so I felt that he was just like me, equal,” says Minu. “He would come running to me and graciously accept the roti in my hand. Moti taught me a lot about how animals feel, how they behave and how they express themselves.” - Minu Singh
As happy as her times with Moti had been, his death had had an even larger impact on little Minu. Moti was brutally killed by the municipal corporation back then that, by government order, used to round up all the strays and get rid of them. As traumatic as that was for Minu, she says it deepened her bond to these creatures.
“I also used to bring home little stray kittens who would get caught in heavy rains. I was a young girl myself, so I couldn’t do much. I’d rescue them, pat them dry, and do whatever I could at the time - like feeding them warm milk.” - Minu Singh
Her love for animals and nature determined her career path and Minu went on to become an environmentalist, which she says is what helped her get into animal welfare. After completing her education a little over 15 years ago, she moved to Bangalore, where she witnessed the harrowing scene of many animals dying right in front of her eyes.
Minu turned into an animal rights activist almost overnight, and has now dedicated her life to street animals. Today, the 41-year-old feeds and takes care of nearly 2,000 street animals in and around the Belandur area, South Bangalore. She is widely known for her work in the area that her phone number has become a hotline that locals use to contact her when a street animal goes missing, or upon finding an injured or sick creature.
Her journey started with volunteering at local shelters, and caring for about 30 animals when she first came to the metropolitan city, and the number has steadily increased since. Besides her daughter - Mishti, Minu is also mother to 8 street dogs (4 of whom are paralysed) that live in her small home.
“I hold the same love for all these animals as I do for my daughter. I don’t see any difference,” she adds. “The unconditional love they show you is very very therapeutic and very soothing if you are able to understand that love.”
But, things have not always been easy for Minu. She has experienced criticism for caring for strays in areas where these animals are not welcome. Oftentimes, naysayers have even tried to stop her. But she says that the criticism has always served as an effective source of motivation.
As time passed, Minu started to encounter more sickly and injured dogs - victims of accidents and various diseases/infections, in need of medical help. So, she familiarised herself with managing medical ailments and became a first responder. “I really want everyone to understand that these animals are only looking for love. Now, as accidents and cruelty cases are increasing, there are at least 20-30 dogs at any given point of time that need treatment on the spot,” she expresses.
Over the years, Minu’s work has expanded beyond just feeding and providing animals with necessary medical care. She has realised that there is so much more to be done in order to protect strays from all kinds of dangers.
“I had to learn the animal laws and I even started talking to the police and other authorities,” she explains. “I also found out about the neutering and sterilisation program, and I connected with NGOs, and friends in the same space. Together we formed a team, and started running sterilisation and anti-rabies vaccination camps in our area.” - Minu Singh
From there on, it was onwards and upwards for Minu, who also began to conduct awareness programs in schools. She also started an open shelter, where all dogs live and thrive in a free and happy environment.
“It’s a very satisfying feeling when you meet them, and you know they’re waiting for you to get just one meal.I prepare 22 buckets of food to feed dogs within the 8 to 10 kilometre radius of my area. The current challenge is carrying these buckets on a two-wheeler.” - Minu Singh
The problem at hand is also that Minu is a lone soldier, and manages the tasks of an entire team on her own. Along with being under equipped, she also lacks the manpower needed to drive and carry out her mission.
“I really need to build an organisation and a team. I need to arrange for a lot of facilities for their recovery and rehabilitation. I need a tank for hydrotherapy for all the paralyzed dogs, more rooms and hygiene kits, clean bedding, water cans, vehicles to supply food and rescue animals - all of this requires money. I have exhausted everything I had, even while receiving a lot of help from family and friends who have volunteered and seen my workload.”
There are thousands of strays and helpless creatures out there that are waiting to be rescued and cared for by a gentle soul. Minu eagerly wishes to serve these animals, but she can only reach out to them with some help from you.
“I need your support to keep going. I need you all to come forward to help, donate or even volunteer, so we can protect these helpless creatures together.” - Minu Singh
All donations, small or large, will immensely help Minu continue caring for street animals, giving them a much better life and a fighting chance on the streets.
