Borivli residents open their hearts and building to seven stray dogs

The residents of Gorai 2 locality with the stray dogs

The residents of Borivli's Gorai locality are setting an example by taking care of the family of a stray dog. A group of around 30 people, from five different societies in the Gorai 2 locality, have come together to help seven stray dogs survive in a safe environment.

From the past month, they have been taking care of five newborn puppies while others have taken up the responsibility of feeding the adult dogs. They have also built a fence for the puppies to prevent them from wandering around.

"We lost one of the puppies in a road mishap. After that we tied neon bands around their neck so that they are visible even in the dark," Priyanka Tikar, a college student said.

Her brother, Ankush, has been integral in forming this group. "She gave birth to six puppies on October 2. Since then we have been taking care of them and it didn't take long for our neighbours to join in," Ankush said.

Ankush Tikar

"Some people call the mother dog Browny, while others call her Matty. It is because she has been in this area for some time and as a result, different houses have started calling her by different names. It was after she gave birth to puppies that all animal lovers came together," Diksha Punjabi, a working professional, said.

Ed, the father of the puppies, has been living in the lane for almost 10 years and while he keeps away during the day, he guards the fence during the night.
Nikita Sawant, a 42-year-old schoolteacher, said the group was planning to get the puppies vaccinated once they are 50 days old.

While the adults are doing their bit, children, too, are contributing their bit. Alicia Stephen and Aakanksha Sawant, both 13 years old, along with 11-year-old Deep Rane have created a proper schedule around their school and tuition timings, of who will take care of the puppies.

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