If you come to think about it, the silver lining on the onset of this extended lockdown is that mother nature is thriving in the absence of human intrusions. The AQI has improved and the animals are reclaiming their space. Basically, the ecological balance is being restored.
But what about the stray animals who are dependent on us (humans) for survival? Amidst the lockdown, with the restaurants shut and locals locked away in their homes, these stray animals are taking the hardest hit.
With no disposed food in the dumbsters, leftovers from the restaurants or humans, these poor strays are having a tough time trying to sustain themselves in public places.
All you have to do is, feed the strays in and around your vicinity, at least once every day. Please make sure that you form a routine and consciously try to make an effort to not skip feeding them.
If you can, please also pour some water in a disposable container and refill it at least twice a day.
Just imagine if everybody joins forces to take some responsibility and feed the stays in or around their homes, it’ll make a huge impact.
If you’re worried that you’ll be breaking the lockdown rules if you step out of your homes to feed the strays, don’t worry because Delhi Government has been issuing feeder passes to ensure the welfare of the strays.
And if your paranoia is keeping you from going out, the least you can do is donate some money to NGOs and organisations that are feeding the strays on a daily basis, amidst the lockdown.
And for those of you who are holding back from feeding the strays because you think that they are carriers of the pandemic, this fake news has been fact-checked by WHO.
In fact, The Welfare Board of India has sanctioned guidelines confirming that animals don’t act as carriers of Coronavirus. And cases of animal cruelty shouldn’t increase because of the pandemic.
You don’t even have to be a pet lover or a pet owner to realise that the strays who can’t communicate, need you now more than ever to survive these harsh conditions.
Does ignoring the needs of voiceless stary animals and letting them suffer in these tough times, when we can actually help them count as an act of animal cruelty?