Animal Farm

  • | Wednesday | 11th September, 2019

By Express News ServiceBENGALURU :Dog Park, cubbon parkCubbon Park on Sundays, is affectionately nick-named Cubbon Bark! “Drama was a park dog, and this other one looked just like her but was much more mellow, so we named her melodrama.” she said. Set in three acres, the farm is home to indigenous horses, cows, goats, ostrich, iguanas and a number of other animals. Sanjeev Pednekar, an animal rights activist and wildlife conservationist built Prani to bring make understanding animals easier for humans. Charlie’s Animal Rescue centreCharlie’s Animal Rescue Centre (CARE) is egalitarian towards all dog breeds, which is why it recognises the need for stray dogs, or indies, to be cared for.

By Express News Service BENGALURU :Dog Park, cubbon park Cubbon Park on Sundays, is affectionately nick-named Cubbon Bark! Come Sunday, the park is flooded with happy owners and wagging tails, a great opportunity for both owners and their pets to socialise. Situated opposite the city’s Central Library is the dog park that invites dogs of all breeds from different corners of the city. Priya Chetty-Rajagopal, the founder of the Cubbon Park Canines Group, was responsible for setting up what has now become a close-knit community. Text: Varsha Gowda Pics: Pandarinath B and Meghana Sastry “We have a special corner in our hearts for the parkies — the park dogs who have personalities of their own,” she shares, explaining the naming of Melodrama. “Drama was a park dog, and this other one looked just like her but was much more mellow, so we named her melodrama.” she said. “There is an entire community that is dedicated to stalking the parkies,” she laughs. The canine club also includes ‘home babies’ who love the open spaces and each others’ company, and Sunday is when both are celebrated. The idea came up after Chetty-Rajagopal’s beloved pet Calamity Jane (CJ) passed away. Enchanting Acres Just a short ride away from the Yelchenahalli Metro Station is Enchanting Acres, a farm that engages young children and their families with animals. Set in three acres, the farm is home to indigenous horses, cows, goats, ostrich, iguanas and a number of other animals. Farhana Ritesh opened the farm to the public three years ago and the response has been overwhelming. “We have a variety of interactive activities with animals, including pony rides, feeding cows, horses and ducks,” she said, adding they make sure to establish boundaries with children so they know not to pursue animals that need their space. Enchanting Acres engages children from schools twice a week, the rest of the time the staff and animals are given time to rest and restore their energy for the children. The farm also hosts birthday parties and families during school holidays. Children can ride through the fields on a tractor, looking at cows grazing in the distant background. Enter the aviary, to meet birds with multi-coloured feathers, or even witness the unlikely animal pairings. Here, ostrich are roommates with cows and calves share their space with pigs! Prani – Pet sanctuary Located off Kanakapura Road, the sanctuary is designed to be learning experience for children and adults of all ages. Sanjeev Pednekar, an animal rights activist and wildlife conservationist built Prani to bring make understanding animals easier for humans. “From a young age, we are taught to fear animals, even animals that are totally harmless. We try to get kids to unlearn these fears,” said the 28-year-old.Most of the animals at Prani are rescued through the organisation’s helpline, or calls for help from the BBMP and the Forest Cells. Pednekar has rescued elephants and leopards, iguanas and horses, donkeys and snakes, through it all he maintains that wild animals must be rehabilitated into their natural environments, consequently Prani only hosts domesticated animals. Children and their families are taken through a variety of informative interactions, through a rodent section where they are introduced to kangaroo rats, gerbils, hamsters and other animals. Pednekar will tell you that the star of the show is Isha the mare, the first resident of Prani. Therpup Therpup is a café like no other, over 1,500 people over the week visit the café to interact with the 12 resident dogs in Whitefield. “We don’t belive in buying or selling dogs, some are adopted, some rescued, and the rest are gifted,” said Vinayak Chaturvedi, co-founder of the café. The 40-year-old had extensive experience as a hotelier before starting the café, but noticed a distinct lack of spaces that he could visit with his beagle, Lokey. “Therpup was born out of this gap,” he said, adding that since then it has become a destination for dog-lovers without pets. “I used to have a lot of friends come over wanting to play with Lokey because they didn’t have pets of their own. We wanted such people to have a space as well,” he said. Dog lovers have awarded this idea with much enthusiasm, in three years, Therpup has rarely been free. Of course, Vinayak says the pets love the attention and pampering. Charlie’s Animal Rescue centre Charlie’s Animal Rescue Centre (CARE) is egalitarian towards all dog breeds, which is why it recognises the need for stray dogs, or indies, to be cared for. Sudha Narayan, the founder and trustee at CARE, had been working with the Compassion Unlimited Plus Action for 17 years, when she wanted to start something of her own. “We were looking for a name and that’s when we thought to name the centre after Charlie, India’s most famous therapy dog since 2005. Charlie passed away in 2017, but whatever we do today, we do in his name,” she said. The centre located at Yelahanka has over 260 animals, 180 dogs, 45 cats, 3 pigs and 1 turtle. “Volunteering is the life force of organisations like this one, there are a variety of roles and responsibilities that we provide to ours, but we take the suggestions of our volunteers really seriously around here,” she said.

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