FACE TO FACE

Indigree tries to keep a semblance

of Love alive in every Heart
In the face of the socio-cultural transformation that the present society is witnessing and the higher human
aspirations that are overtaking every individual today, certain good things in life like animals, environment
and all other forms of life are becoming the least important issues for us. Ms. Jasjit Purewal, Campaign
owner of Indigree Angels Trust tells SPOI of how desperately she wants to change that notion and with the
help of her NGO tries to save street dogs from the cruelty and indifference of urban life. An excerpt -

Tell us more about your organization. How did the

idea of working for the upliftment of the street
dogs come to you?
Indigree Angels Trust is a national non-profit organization
based in New Delhi. It is designed to rescue, rehabilitate and heal
abandoned and abused Indian/Pedigree dogs. We are dedicated
to raising awareness on the rare qualities of Indian dogs, the
rampant neglect and abuse they experience every day.
We are a group of like-minded people dedicated to the
welfare of the great Indian dog be it on our streets or in our
homes. What makes us unique is that our central goal is
Treat on the Street. We do this because street dogs have
grown up being able to roam freely and have their own
territory which they guard. This is also the space in which
they feel most comfortable.
Dogs are suffering the most in urban Indias streets and lanes.
The two main reasons why dogs are targeted are because firstly
they are the largest in terms of number as far as animals on
the street are concerned. Secondly by nature they want to be
domesticated and near humans.
When they get hurt or sick moving them to shelters makes
them anxious and distressed which impedes their healing process.
Also, the conditions of most sheltersare inadequate and make
the animals more prone to infections. Treating the dog as far
as possible on the street and using the community in the area
to help and support is Indigrees primary goal. A mobile clinic/
ambulance with trained para-vets is our central activity.
On the street we feed so we can take them for
sterilizations to reduce the puppy population, vaccinate, attend
to wounds, skin diseases, gastroenteritis, eye infections, maggots
and injuries. We vaccinate all the dogs we work with and come
into contact with against rabies and fatal diseases like Parvo and
Distemper.
We believe that just because a dog is on the street doesnt
mean that he doesnt deserve the best possible veterinary care.
From the bandages, to the antibiotics, homeopathy, imported
skin washes (non-Toxic) we ensure that its the best possible
quality. We are trained to handle basic treatments like Tick fever,
gastroenteritis, heat stroke, hypothermia, eye infections, mange,
scabies and a host of other common ailments. However, dogs in
serious condition are taken to the best private veterinary clinics
for treatment and diagnosis. X-rays, blood tests, ultrasounds are
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all conducted as required. Critical condition dogs are booked

into private medical boarding where our own staff/volunteers
ensure that their treatment is being carried out.
We organize fostering and adoptions of puppies and
then follow up with adopting families, providing them tips on
training, nutrition and ensuring that the puppies are well looked
after and loved. We organize fostering and adoptions of puppies
and then follow up with adopting families, providing them tips
on training, nutrition and ensuring that the puppies are well
looked after and loved.
We re-home abandoned dogs be they pedigrees or
Indian dogs.

Could you share some of your recent initiatives?

A few of our listed initiatives are

Sterilisation of 600 dogs in the last 2 years and
Vaccination of 500 street dogs (Rabies and Distemper)
On the Spot Treatment of 500 dogs and long term
treatment of 200 dogs monthly. Injuries, mange, malnutrition,
distemper, tick fever, tumours etc. Dogs given continuous
treatment in many cases lasting two months or so on a regular
basis.
30 adult dogs re-homed and 53 puppies rescued from
the streets of Delhi, fostered sometimes for several months at a
time and given up for
adoption.
110 Adopting
families given support
via home visits and
telephone regarding,
diet, basic health,
exercise and training
of dogs. Adopting
families also assisted
with sterilization of
adopted dogs upon
the dog reaching the
appropriate age.
Feeding
of
over 300 Street Dogs
on a Daily Basis. We
feed them so that it is
easier for us to identify
and pick up dogs for sterilization.
Since we do not have a shelter we often put rescued dogs
who need long term care in private boarding facilities because
the level of infection is so high in existing shelters that keeping
dogs there for long periods is a risk. We also use such facilities
for keeping rescued older dogs until we find homes for them. In
this year, we have already put fifteen dogs into private boarding.
There is a huge expense involved but it is the safest option for
the dogs.
Ran a fully equipped ABC centre at Jamia Milia
University from Nov 2015 to March 2016. During this period,
nearly 300 dogs were sterilized at this unit.
Conducted a 2-day para-vet training of 15 people to
equip them to work with street dogs in their area.
The Indigree Angels Founder President, Ms Jasjit
Purewal, has served as the AWBI Executive Board Member from
2011-2015. During this period her primary area of work was stray
canine ABC and she designed and executed the Srinagar ABC
Centre which is the first of its kind in the State. Working with
Delhi NGOs on upgrading ABC standards as well monitoring
them regularly to ensure AWBIs Standard Operating Procedures
(SOP) were followed, have been part of her activities in the last
five years. Serving on the MCD Stray Canine ABC Committee
from 2012-2014, to address NGOs needs as well as ensure MCD
guidelines are followed have given her a wide range of experience
on relevant issues which affect stray canine ABC in Delhi.

Are you confined only to Delhi at present? Are

you planning to go beyond the city with your

initiatives?
Yes, we are confined to Delhi and within Delhi to South
Delhi specifically for our core activities. The size of the city and
the canine population makes it impossible to travel beyond this
area given our financial and human resources.
However, we provide phone and email support on treatment
queries and management to people from other cities who have
poor support structures around them. We would like to offer
such support in a more
organized way with
the access technology
provides in the future.
We also hope to take
our para-vet training
to other cities since we
offer a very unique and
wholesome knowledge
base and there are no
decent para-vet courses
offered for street dogs
in the country.

Any partners or
NGOs you are
working
with
to serve your
objective?
We work with many of the Delhi NGOs to carry out humane
sterilizations for our dogs. We are also part of numerous animal
welfare networks and support other groups with treatment,
sterilizations and vaccinations etc. The Founder President Ms
Purewal worked through the AWBi with many national efforts
on policy for animals especially street dogs as well as on drafting
improved laws and procedures.

What kind of a response or support have you

received so far for this initiative?
Delhi has a healthy network of animal lover groups which
helps us all respond to and support protect, treat and champion
the cause of street dogs.

What kind of challenges do you face while trying

to make this initiative a success?
Cruelty, indifference, and the changing heart of the urban
Indian is the biggest challenge to the survival of all street animals
today. From being considered divine in the Hindu pantheon, the
Indian animals is today mistreated, abused, used and discarded
with impunity. The financial and human resource required to
make a real change is also our greatest struggle. We have survived
for 7 years largely with our own resources and some sporadic
support of kind friends and others. But the expenses and the
time commitment needed to respond to the size of the problem
is the source of our greatest anxiety.
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