As temperatures soar, animal lovers quench the thirst of strays

Organisations distribute bowls among residents to keep water for stray animals

With temperatures soaring in the city, it is not just people who have to be worried about the heat. Animal welfare activists in the city have appealed to residents to be mindful of animals in their area and ensure that they have access to water. As they do annually, the Blue Cross of India began to distribute water bowls from the last week of March. ”We have distributed around 800 bowls and over the weekends, our volunteers continue to take and distribute bowls in residential areas,” said Vinod Kumar, Manager. 

He said apart from placing bowls on the sides of streets, he encouraged residents to place bowls on the terrace for birds. “For a group of around 10 apartments, even if one bowl is placed, it will make a huge difference. We recently received a picture from a volunteer who had placed a bowl on the terrace of her office complex which showed many birds, including a kite, drinking water from the bowl there,” he said. 

People for Cattle India (PFCI) recently launched its “Water Bowl Challenge 2022” and founder Arun Prasanna said that they had 2,000 bowls to distribute. “People are encouraged to come to our office and pick up the bowls. Even if they can’t do so, we want people to ensure that they can place any vessel or container with water near their homes to ensure animals and birds have water during the summer months,” he said. 

Mr. Arun appealed to the residents in the city to be mindful of where they placed the bowl, and that it should be at a place where animals can easily access it. “The water should be regularly replenished, and the bowl should be kept clean to ensure that there is no contamination,” he added. 

On the outskirts of Chennai as well, attention is being paid to care for stray animals during summer. Sai Vignesh, who runs Almighty Animal Care Trust, said they were beginning to distribute water bowls to residents in Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram districts.

“We will give water bowls to police stations, and keep them at other public places. Apart from this, we are actively encouraging residents to let stray animals take shelter in their compounds under trees or near covered car parks from the scorching sun,” he said.