It is quite a sad sight when you see Puggie (that’s what he is called by his rescuers). A severe case of mange, paired with lack of care for what seems like a very long time, has left this pug around eight months old in a bad state. Despite difficulty in eating, walking and even moving his face, from what could have been a near death scenario, this canine is fighting it out. It seems slowly, but surely, he will be fine with the help that he is getting from many people in the city.
“Someone called me saying that they found a dog which they were trying to look after but weren’t able to manage. And that’s how he came to me,” shares animal activist and lover, Shruti Darak, revealing that the owner of the dog couldn’t be found. “It happens very often. We see such cases all the time, where owners abandon their dog, especially when it needs a lot of care,” she adds.
While it’s not known for how long Puggie has been on the streets, from their estimation, Shruti says it could be nearly a month. “The sense of abandonment can really affect a dog. He has been out on the streets for so long and we don’t know what all he went through. The sad thing is such issues can be dealt with early, but the extreme neglect has aggravated his condition and what could have been cured with two medicated baths now requires nearly 20 of them,” she says.
And, to fund his welfare (boarding, food, medicines) that requires a great deal of care, Shruti, who is a postgraduate student at the Villa Marie college, has started an online fundraising campaign, and is slowly receiving help. While she’s yet to collect the complete amount she needs, Shruti is positive.
