The organization I am going to talk about in my present article is not a very popular one but it is located in a very popular city i.e. Amritsar. My hometown is famous for its food, its cultural and historical sites and how can one forget Golden Temple which is one of the most magnificent places in the World. Tourists from all over the world visit the holy city in order to witness its beauty, its serenity and its glory. Amidst the holy places, crowded markets, shouting street vendors, outlets serving delicious meals, lays an organization which is more of a rescue place for the animals than providing an appealing sight to the tourists. SPCA (Society for the prevention of cruelty towards Animals) is a common name for the non-profit animal welfare organization which is in operation 24 hours, day in and day out, to prevent the dumb creatures from the ones who torture the dumb creatures. In a world which does not spare the poor dumb beings, a centre like SPCA has induced a ray of hope in making the society animal friendly as well as a fit place where animals can survive fearlessly. SPCA Amritsar is one of the many branches of the main non- profit organization which are operating in different parts of the World. As it is a government organization, it functions under the control of city’s Deputy Commissioner.
I personally am not the member of this organization but my mother is a very active member of the organization’s executive team. The orders passed by DC need to be put into execution by the seven executive members of the organization. Inside the organization, there is one main office and there are 10 separate rooms in which different cages are kept. The cages are not small in size but are very big, big enough to accommodate the largest animal as well. The rooms are well kept and ventilated and everyday a sweeper comes to scrub the floors of the rooms. A lady is hired by the government organization who looks after the needs of the animals. She has one dog in her house and out of love for her dog; she does not hesitate in working over- time for the animals in the shelter. She is a happy go lucky person and because of her presence in the centre, one can feel positivity in its ambience. Her duties range from feeding animals three times during the day to tending to them whenever they fall ill or are brought injured from outside inside the centre.
There is a veterinary hospital at the side of the centre and the doctors, employed over there, are also responsible to look after the health of the animals in the centre. The doctors are well- trained professionals who leave no stone unturned in discharging their duties faithfully.
The duties of the executive team of SPCA Amritsar lies in bringing food for the animals inside the cages, rescuing the wounded or tortured animals from outside and bringing them to their care. One doctor is always available at the hospital for 24 hours, in case some emergency case comes up and that too late in the night, then there must be someone who can tend to it. Medicines always remain in stock and in case they are not, then it is the responsibility of the doctors to purchase them. Whenever any staff member, doctor or executive member fails to perform his/ her duties successfully, then a letter of complaint is issued against that person. Executive members collect funds by themselves as well as from other parties and persons. These funds are then transferred into the bank account of the organization. All the works like the salaries of the caretakers, improvement of the infrastructure of the building etc. are undertaken with the help of these funds. Usually, the executive members find it difficult to collect funds because animals are not much respected and loved in this country, so therefore, a webpage for the organization is made and whosoever gives funds is offered a certificate of appreciation and a link to that is shared on web page.
SPCA Amritsar is doing a great job in saving the lives of animals. It is a home for dogs, cats, rabbits, caged snakes, buffaloes, cows, horses, monkeys and different kinds of birds. Only the wounded or very old animals are kept in cages while other animals are allowed to roam about in the centre, except for the snakes. People from different parts of India as well as World come to adopt the animals. Various NGO’s also support SPCA but still this centre is not that much famous among the city residents as it should have been. The more the people will know about the organization, the better its condition would be. Every month the executive team holds meetings and in these meetings the members discuss the shortcomings that can be curbed and the positive work that needs to be encouraged in for the upliftment of the condition of SPCA and its inhabitants. I, personally, feel that the members of society need to donate and participate in keeping organizations working. Animals are dependent on us and therefore, it is our responsibility to take care of them and their lives.
By Rushika Gill, Amritsar
