The document discusses the author's experience with stray dogs in India and their efforts to help strays. It notes that India has a large stray dog population due to open garbage and lack of government services. The author describes finding stray puppies as a teenager and deciding to foster and later adopt one, which helped change neighbors' attitudes. The author has since worked with NGOs to organize foster programs, promote adoption over shopping, and collective community care of strays. The experience of growing up with their dog taught the author lessons of responsibility, confidence, and helped children with social skills and self-esteem.

1. What is the most important thing that you
would like us to know that is not in your
resume or application?
By : Aprajita Rana

2. CONTENTS
Reasons for
Stray
How the
Journey Started
Turning Point What I did My Experience

3. India is home to about 30 million stray dogs, which
amounts to 1 stray dog per 42 people in the country
Delhi alone has between 260,000 and 400,000
stray dogs

4. Reasons
for
Stray
• First, a common characteristic of India’s
cities encourages stray dog populations
— open garbage. Stray dogs are
scavengers, so they rely on garbage on
the street as a source of food.
• Second, India has fewer government and
NGO services that deal with stray dogs.
All of these interventions require a lot of
resources. For this reason, India has
fewer large-scale interventions and
organizations to deal with stray dogs.

5. How the Journey Started
I always wanted a pet but being a medium class family in India, financial
obligations and responsibilities could not let my family have one
But I couldn’t help my self
from feeding the strays
whenever possible

6. My Pet is now 10 years old
In 2008, when I was in 9th
grade I found a female dog and
her puppies in front of my
house. I even contacted NGOs
to get the puppies adopted but
the NGOs lacked the
infrastructure at that point.
I had made my mind to help
them and even adopted one of
the puppies as I was old
enough to take responsibility of
a puppy. The people in my
neighbourhood overcame the
prejudice against street dogs
and the rest of the puppies got
adopted by other families in my
locality.
A small step to create a
difference brought a change in
the behaviour of people
around and they even started
feeding and caring for street
dogs.
Turning Point

7. Through initiative
of People for
Animal(NGO)
puppies got
adopted by best
families who will
care of them
In 2018 I encountered puppies
- 10 days old, separated from
their mother. I did the next
logical thing and contacted the
animal shelter to take them as
they wouldn’t be able to
survive on their own.
But I was told by the
shelter that they were too
young to be adopted and
the indifference to life
with all its vulnerabilities
was shocking
1.Not to be deterred, by
this indifference I decided
to be their foster mother
and carry them home till
they were well-taken care
and adopted by someone.
What I did

8. What I did
 Working with NGOs -Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care centre
and People for Animal I organized foster programs in
my locality, encouraging people to foster and especially
involve children as it helps kids understand that as
people we should care for all things and take care of
them to the best of our abilities and I feel that
translates to our relationship with other people as well.
 I promoted to Adopt not Shop so that all shelters have
no animals and creating awareness that stray dogs are
at par with breed dogs.
 I promoted Collective adoption where communities
collectively care for and treat local dogs. The local
people care for, feed, and play with the dogs in their
neighbourhood.

9. My experience of growing up with Dog
 Gives you life a lesson, teaches you responsibility, gain
confidence, help kids with anxiety, more exercise.
 Children learn social skills, impulse control and
improve self-esteem.
 The sharing of the dog for a few moments teaches
generosity and patience.
I will always volunteer for the animal care centre wherever I
live, and will take time to contribute