I didn’t expect to be writing on this subject again so soon. Then again, I didn’t expect such a thing to happen again this quickly. When the sweet, Indian dog ‘Bhadra’ was thrown off a two-storey terrace not three weeks ago, (read my earlier post- An Alarming Appetite for Brutality), the media and social media were belligerent as of course were animal welfare groups. And yet, days later, there was another incident, this time in Hyderabad, of the most unimaginable, heinous kind. I won’t elaborate on the details, but this too was all over the press. The act itself sends a shiver down one’s spine, but knowing that it was perpetrated by teenagers is truly shocking. It confirms the fears that impressionable minds would be attracted to the kind of sick and deranged atrocities which are becoming the subject of videos uploaded and shared on the internet. Today, they torture innocent animals. Tomorrow, they’ll be the kind of social deviants that terrorist groups readily induct. Is that when we’ll wake up and realise this is a problem that affects us all and needs to be addressed urgently?

For the past several days, I have been asking fellow animal-lovers why there isn’t a public protest or some such visible action to demand the revision of our appalling animal welfare laws. I’m usually referred to someone else, who is supposedly doing something about it. I’m certain that various animal rights activists and organisations have been and continue to fight hard for legislative change, but I can’t help but wonder, What’s a common person who wants very much to help, supposed to do? Why on earth should it be so difficult for someone like me to find out how I can pitch in? Why can’t one of the larger organisations lead a protest march or something so that all of us can come together and demand this change, not just to save our animals but to save our society from descending in to utter moral anarchy?

If you think you are far removed from such people and such acts of cruelty, don’t be so sure. A few days ago, I had just walked in to my house when I got a call from a poor man who has adopted three desi dogs whom I absolutely adore and whose vaccinations and medical records I manage, just like I do for my own dogs. He asked me to come quickly because someone was beating the dogs. By the time I reached, the person had run off but a concerned neighbour recounted the incident to me: one of the nearby residents had arrived in his car and beckoned to the dogs who were fast asleep. They went running up to him because they are trusting and friendly. Then,  he produced a stick and began to hit them. The lady ran out when she heard the dogs yelping and called the police, at which point this brute decided to drive off. Thankfully, the dogs had managed to dodge the stick and weren’t injured, though they were clearly traumatised.

So, here was an attack on dogs we know, love and look after, right here in the street behind ours. What were we going to do about it? Since the lady and all the guards and drivers who witnessed the whole incident, refused to give their names as official witnesses, our plans to lodge a First Information Report, were rendered useless. I imagine this is an all-too-common problem, among many, in our country. And yet, I was determined to put my money where my mouth is and do whatever I could, rather than just ignoring the whole thing. So, I signed a letter, along with several other compassionate neighbourhood residents, telling the man that this kind of thing was not appreciated and must never happen again. Hopefully, social pressure will be enough of a deterrent.

It will also help me sleep better at night, knowing that I have done something. All of us, if we put our minds to it, can actually help to stop violence, at whatever level, by standing up for the defenceless. Are you a lawyer, a journalist, a hotel manager? Can you use any of your professional skills to help spread the message of kindness and respect for animals and humans alike? More importantly, are you compassionate enough to care? There’s a lot we can do, whoever we are and wherever we are, to help, just like these wonderful guys at Arré have done by creating this beautiful, moving video:

While we wait for an organised animal rights call to action, we can help everyday by encouraging our children, domestic staff, colleagues, friends and neighbours, to respect and be kind to animals. The need is urgent. Let’s start now.