Ever since the lockdown in 2020, Archie Sen of Jharkhand’s Ranchi has been feeding over 200 dogs in her city. Beyond that, Sen also ensures that the strays are vaccinated and dewormed, arranges adoption drives, and organises fundraisers to raise funds for the care of these animals.
Starting out the initiative as a hobby, Sen’s little act of care grew into an initiative benefitting at least 200 dogs amid the pandemic.
On her Facebook page titled ‘Street Dogs of Ranchi’, she details the work she undertakes: “Every dog you see on our page is cared by us, we look after 200+ dogs in Ranchi. Not only bring the meals daily but also provide them with medical care when they need it. We even bring them home or send them to a shelter if they are too sick to stay on the roads.”
Sen adds, “Most of our dogs are neutered/spayed and shine with reflective belts on their neck, a way to ensure that the dogs are safe.”
“We deworm and deflea them on a regular basis. We also clean out their water bowls and fill them with fresh water mix with ORS. We try to vaccinate as many as possible with DHPPI shot and anti-rabies vaccine. So far we have been able to find homes for 54 desi dogs in all over Jharkhand,” the Facebook post further states.
Sen’s father, Sanjeet Kumar Sen who is a retired mechanical engineer also supports his daughter’s initiative. Her social media presence has garnered the 25-year-old support from all corners of the internet, with people lending a hand in caring for strays who are being neglected during the lockdown.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, she said, “As most of the street dogs are dependent upon the leftovers of street food vendors in market areas, I started wondering how they would be getting food during the lockdown.”
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