It’s been a busy week in my neighbourhood. One in which I have had to raise my voice against some no-gooders, to protect a very old and sick dog, amongst other things. Yet, as I recount the trying incidents of the past few days, I do so without those familiar feelings of sadness, anger and dejection.  Tired as I am physically, I don’t feel mentally and emotionally drained as I often have. I don’t feel alone and I don’t feel like giving up because I haven’t had to do all this by myself. The Dog Squad has arrived!

While my choice of name may be rather disingenuous, the concept, suggested separately by two of my animal-loving friends, is not. We created a small WhatsApp group of a few like-minded (and generally likeable) people, who can come together in times of need and who are capable of being not likeable at all when they see cruelty to an animal. The aim is this: anytime any of us are dealing with an animal-related crisis in the neighbourhood, we can save time and send out a single message to which any of the others who are in the vicinity can quickly respond. So simple and yet quite brilliant.

When I heard that the sweet, gentle, old dog who lives near our old house was sick, I called a friend who lives nearby and whom I knew would take excellent care of the dog. Then I received a message from another lovely girl the following day, who had noticed the dog on her daily walks in the park and had been sending food for her. Someone, she told me, had marched up to her staff and forbidden them from feeding the dog. So, a few of us decided to pay the woman a visit and figure out what was bothering her.

It turned out she just did not want a sick dog on the street. Never mind that the poor dog doesn’t go anywhere near her. Never mind that the dog has lived on the street all her life. Never mind that the dog poses absolutely no threat to anyone. She just did not want the dog there. Our attempts to reason with her were in vain and we finally decided to shift the dog slightly farther away, even while we informed the woman that relocating or deliberately harming a street dog, are criminal offences. The encounter was not a pleasant one, but together, we made our point.

That evening, when one of the people who had joined me on this ‘intervention’, repeated the suggestion for a phone group of animal lovers, I decided not to waste any time in creating it. From the moment I did so, it proved to be the most wonderful resource. Every day, each of us at some point, have been going to check on the dog. Someone takes her to the vet, another takes her food, others just swing by to make sure she’s ok.  Everyone is in the know and if anyone expresses any cause for concern, someone or the other addresses it. We brainstorm, we cooperate and very importantly, we give each other the appreciation and reassurance that animal lovers very often don’t get.

Giving a hoot comes at a price. Looking after animals very often involves strife and anxiety. No, it’s not something anyone particularly enjoys doing, leave alone when they are met with criticism, hostility and sometimes even mockery. Like the woman who wanted the dog to be moved out. “Keep your compassion to yourselves”, she said. Fortunately, some of us still have a shred of humanity and enough humility to know that it is not our prerogative to deny others their homes and habitats. We are thankfully not yet so desensitised as to turn a blind eye or a deaf ear to the suffering of an innocent being. Yet, we don’t always have the means to be able to deal with such situations alone. Which is why, it is very important that we support one another in whatever way we can. Making phone calls, providing transport, finding a good vet or appropriate shelter- every little bit counts. In the wake of increasing atrocities towards animals, perhaps this is a very workable solution- Getting together a tiny network of people in your neighbourhood, who can help each other help the animals.

While I remain deeply concerned about the old dog, I am also very touched and heartened to see the dedication of the amazing people in my “Dog Squad”, who are doing everything they can for her. Together, I’m sure we’ll be able to do a lot of good for a lot of animals. And so can you. To quote Hannibal Smith from The A-Team, one of my favourite TV shows growing up, “I love it when a plan comes together!”