I interviewed Reeya Thakur of Happy Tails Foundation (HTF) in 2021 for my society magazine and also posted that on this blog in 2022 (which you can read here). Over the last two+ years, this animal lover & activist has continued to do phenomenal work and has made me aspire to be a better human being.
I got chatting with Reeya again to know more about all that has transpired in the last two years. HTF continues to work passionately for street animals but running an NGO is a challenge, not to mention the costs attached.
Reeya says, “We completed three years of HTF only this year. We’re now eligible to apply for CSR funding through our CSR certificate. We will receive our certificate in a few days.” This is something I’ve realized over time; CSR initiatives focus a lot on children, women, climate & environment, education & skill development, economic advancement, sports, cleanliness, healthcare etc. but not enough on animal welfare.
Hopefully, companies will begin to realize the need that animal welfare organizations are in. most of them work on contributions and are almost always short of funds; funds that can bring a marked change in the lives of many street animals!
Returning to what Reeya had to say, HTF has partnered with NGOs for awareness campaigns. “There’s so much animal cruelty everywhere. So many cases & so few animal welfare NGOs & volunteers! We can’t be present everywhere, every time for every case.”
The only recourse thus is to educate the public through awareness campaigns. These campaigns aim to involve people in caring for community animals, the complaint mechanism for cruelty cases etc. If even one percent of the public becomes aware & compassionate, it’ll be a sea change in the animal welfare domain.
Reeya also informed that HTF has formed a disaster management team. “In the July floods in NCR, this team worked dedicatedly to rescue numerous large and small animals. We provided them first aid, food & shelter.”
I asked Reeya to tell me what three advancements and three setbacks she & HTF have faced in the last two+ years. “We involve more people in our work now which increases our effectiveness. We are developing better fundraising strategies which will help us become more organised. We are building a proper & stronger shelter so that we can accommodate more animals.”
Regarding setbacks, Reeya rues the lack of a proper team with people with different skillsets taking up different roles. “Three people can’t run an NGO. HTF needs team members that manage various aspects like campaigns, documentation, finance, rescue, treatment, utility, inventory management, project management etc.”
Any organisation needs a proper team without which work would always be disorganised. And desired results may be difficult to come by.
Adding to the above, Reeya admits that she was hesitant in asking for contributions. She felt people would judge her. But, with time, she realised HTF couldn’t function without people’s help. “We’ve a few dedicated donors but if I want HTF to take on more welfare activities, I need more help from more people.”
This brings me to the point I touched upon earlier. The lack of donations for animal welfare. I must say that for a country that worships many animals as gods or associates them with some or the other god, our animal rights record is abysmal.
And these aren’t Reeya’s words; these are mine! We go out to with friends and end up spending two – three thousand per person every time but when it comes to contributions, taking out even INR 500 on a monthly basis seems like a burden, doesn’t it?
So, if you’re reading this, & if you feel there’s a tiny bit of humanity in you, please pledge at least INR 1,000 to the Happy Tails Foundation on a monthly basis. Your contribution can really make a difference to a voiceless animal’s life.
The third setback that Reeya speaks about is related to the second one. The HTF shelter, due to lack of funds, still lacks proper infrastructure. “We still do not have a boundary or an office or a treatment room. We don’t have enough solar panels. By 2024, we’ve to complete our shelter so that the team can work effectively. But we’re able to do this only bit by bit.”
Readers, please loosen your purse strings! Please!!
In the end, I asked Reeya to tell me four practical things to do if I see an abandoned/ ailing/ injured animal. She enumerates –
- Feed the animal something so that it gains some energy & allows you to touch it. this will help you understand its nature.
- If the animal is abandoned, call the nearest NGO who can help. If it is injured severely, take help of passersby, put it your vehicle & take it to a local vet. Don’t wait for an ambulance as that can take time.
- Always keep a first aid box in your vehicle. If the animal is friendly, you can do its dressing there itself with betadine & bandage.
- If you feel you’re unable to do any of the above, then please call the nearest veterinarian or any animal NGO.
To end this blog post, I’ve just one request. In a world where individuality has become supreme, if you can spare a thought for someone else, please let it be for a community animal. We’ve robbed them of their habitats & have been inflicting unimaginable cruelty on them.
If your one action, one thought, one word can change just one community animal’s life, trust me, you’ll receive way more blessings (punya as we call it) than any other good deed.
Loved the work Happy Tails Foundation does? Please follow them on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/happytails.ind/ . And if you would like to contribute, drop them a DM. Please feel free to reach out to Reeya or to Ashish, a valuable HTF member at +91 93106 67107 if you’ve any questions about the fundraising or the shelter.
Stay compassionate!
