A fun-filled day for pets at Indiranagar Club

By Falah Faisal

Bengaluru: Walking into Indiranagar Club on Sunday one is greeted with barks. The one of its kind Fur Festival is underway.

Organised by Wag On, in association with Just Dogs, it’s a fun-filled day for pets that include a ball pit, pooch parlors, a pet fashion show and an off-leash zone. The pet parents are treated to talks from vets and numerous stalls from which to get the best treats.

Among the stalls, one that stands out is Indie Tails of Hope – the only non-profit stall at the event. A cloud animal shelter, they promote the adoption of indie dogs, spread awareness about them and most importantly rescue dogs in distress.

“We take a hard stance against breeding,” says Arundhati Krishnan, a core team member. “It is a really inhuman process that causes immeasurable suffering for the animals – both the parents and the pups. It’s barbaric.”

She recounts an incident when a girl came to play with a puppy at the event, but her mother stopped her saying ‘don’t touch street dogs’. “I’m glad these things happen because that gives us the perfect opportunity to educate people. The Indian street dog is one of the most resilient breeds out there.”

A pet recuse organisation that stresses the diversity, they have a strict no discrimination ethos that includes rescuers from all walks of life. Their founder, Anwesha Majumdar says, “The more inclusive we are, the more it gives us an opportunity to save a life.”

Indie Tails of Hope plans to organise more adoption and awareness drives for corporate films and schools. “We plan to have flea markets and adoption drives,” Anwesha explains.

“Most kids see a golden retriever or a German Shepard and want that. But we’d like to teach them about how cruel the breeding process is to the animals. There are so many dogs out there that need to be taken care of, waiting to be adopted. Then why breed more,” adds Arundhati.

The adopters from their stall were treated to gift coupons for free products from all the other stalls. And that’s not all, Dr. Champak Naik of Precise Pet Clinic, who was giving a talk at the event, says, “Whoever adopts a dog from Indie Tails of Hope will get one year of free services at my clinic, including free spaying and neutering"