Paw Stories

A colony dog of the Changu Mangu Duo was found panting heavily and struggling for breath in the park on 30th July 2024.

We took him to Dr.Ranjit Kharb that evening and he was given saline and an X ray was taken.

It was found that diaphragm had ruptured and his intestines had moved up into chest cavity and he was unabe to breathe.

The doctor tried his best to revive him, but he passed away on the table in the clinc itself

at 8.54pm.

We all felt very sad as this dog had been living in the colony for the past 8-10 years and would accompany us on walks around the colony.

In December 2025 Abdul the milk mans assistant found an injured cat in the parking lot where he works in the shop that supplies milk and other provisions to our colony.

This grey coloured cat had been run over by a speeding motorcycle resulting in an injury to its right hand and back bone.

The poor cat was in terrible pain and due to its inability to walk it had dragged itself to Abdul's shop in the big parking lot of Munirka Vihar.

I personally requested the Vet in our colony Dr.Ranjit Kharb to send one of his doctors to examine the cat. 

Dr. Harshita was sent with me and she examined the cat in the parking lot itself .

Dr.Harshita prescribed medicines in the form of antibiotic tablets to heal the raw wounds of the cat and some tablets for strengthening the bones as otherwise it would have been difficult to treat this stray cat.

Every day for the next ten days I kept giving this cat medicines hidden in burfi along with food twice a day.

I also made a small cat house filled with warm blankets in a carton which was kept in one corner of the parking lot where the cat rested and recuperated.

Within 15-20 days the cat was fine and the medicines, care and rest gave it strength to move around confidently and go back to its own territory.

Sometime in mid December 2025 one of our neighbours in Munirka Vihar found an injured cat in one of the gardens.

This cat was badly injured and bitten by another aggressive cat in the colony.

We took the cat to Dr.Kharbs Clinic in our colony and treatment was started with a saline drip and antibiotics and pain killers.

We named the cat Meethi and had it kept in the foster care of Doyal in the colony.

Doyal kept her in her room to protect it from the aggressive cats in the colony

Meethi’s treatment continued for about 2-3 weeks as her wounds were very severe and pus had formed due to the abscess.

Meethi recovered well but Doyal had to leave for her hometown in mid January 2026 and another foster had to be found.

Meethi was sent to Anandita in Saket and kept in foster care. There also she developed an abscess in her teeth and had to be treated by a vet in Saket.

Meethi came in heat in mid February and had to be restrained and confined by Anandita which was a really difficult job.

After the heat period was over Meethi was taken to Jeevashram on 27 th Feb  2026 for a spay.

Meethi was operated upon on 28 th Feb 2026 by Dr.Sunil and is right now recovering at

Jeevashram,Rajokri.

On 22nd October 2024 onwards we have placed an order with Binkymart for reflective collars for our stray dogs of Munirka Vihar colony which had address and mobile number engraved so that if they got lost during diwali time due to the impact of fire crackers they could be traced and found.

These collars were delivered to us before diwali and we made eight dogs wear those collars for their safe keeping and well being

Kaalu our colony dog was attacked by outside dogs and was grieviously injured in June this year in 2024. Due to attack by other stray dogs kaalus ear had been ripped and was bleeding profusely and also he had sustained injuries on other parts of his body.

We took him to Dr.Ranjit Kharb’s Clinic where he was treated for the non stop bleeding from his ear, he was bandaged and all wounds were attended to and he was then put on saline.

Treatment of Kaalu was continued regularly for about 20 days and he was administered 5 anti rabies shots as well as antibiotics and pain killers and regular dressing daily.

Dr Ranjit Kharb and his wife Dr. Moushmi Kharb were very cooperative and sent their clinic employee to pick up Kaalu and take him to the clinic for treatment daily.

Finally Kaalu was healed and fine after all the efforts put in.

Hasmukh the colony dog who had been operated upon by Dr Ranjit Kharb on January 2023 when a car had run over him and he had a rod fitted in his leg, the rod was removed by Dr.Kharb on 4th June 2024 through a minor surgery and thankfully Hasmukh is much better now.

A stray black cat in our colony whom we have named papaya was grievously injured on 23rd August 2024 .

We initially took him to Dr.Ranjit Kharb’s Clinic and he was sedated, and an X Ray was taken where it was found that it had a hairline fracture and the only treatment was restricting movement and letting it heal.

We got this cat admitted to Jeevashram Rajokri the next day where he was treated with antibiotics and pain killers for inflammation and swelling of the right front limb and it was kept in one place to restrict movement.

After about 20 days we bought the cat back to the colony and although it is still limping a little it is much better now and very happy to be free.

Around the end of September 2024, a new black and white dog entered our colony from somewhere.

It looked like an abandoned or relocated dog and was desperately trying to find shelter. It would run up the staircase and sit outside people’s houses looking for some support.

Although we started feeding it, it was scared and would not come too close.

Unfortunately, people started complaining that it was howling at night and ordered the guards to chase him out. Eventually they called the MCD to catch him.

The MCD van caught him on 10th of October and said they would take for sterilization and drop her back in few days.The way the MCD caught the dog by force and took it was traumatising.

I instructed the MCD to tell me when they were releasing the dog so that we could try and accommodate her in a shelter as the colony people were objecting to the dog sitting outside their residences.

They came to release the dog on 15th Oct. I got the poor dog admitted to Jeevashram , a shelter in Rajokri who are treating it as they say that proper after care was not taken by the staff at Dr.R T Sharmas Clinic where the MCD had taken for the operation.

One can imagine the state of other strays who are released on the road after their surgery if proper post-operative care is not taken.

I have complained to RT Sharma’s clinic and asked them to be careful before releasing stray dogs.

This dog has been admitted to Jeevashram on a permenant basis for which we pay monthly maintainace. 

It began with a call about newborn kittens found in a colony garden. They were barely ten days old — their eyes only half open, their bodies fragile and cold. 

The mother was nowhere to be found. The kittens had been thrown out by sweepers, and although a few children briefly took them home, they were soon abandoned again. 

That night, in the rain, Divya went to bring them to safety. She carried them home, dried and warmed them, and began the delicate routine of caring for newborns. 

They were too young to eat on their own, so she fed them milk using cotton, every few hours, day and night. Newborn kittens require constant feeding and warmth, and for the next several days, they received both. Medical check-ups and food expenses were covered to ensure they stayed healthy and stable. 

Soon, a kind foster stepped forward and took them in, caring for them until they were strong enough for adoption. 

Today, those once-fragile kittens have grown into healthy cats and are living with loving families.

Baaghi a stray cat of the colony and who frequented Doyal’s house was spayed with the help of Dr.Kharb and the co-operation of Ms Doyal a resident of the colony who gave a lot of post-operative care to the cat.

The surgery was performed on 5th July 2024 and the cat recovered in two weeks time.

Spaying this cat has in a way helped to control the cat population in the colony and is good for the cat’s health too.

Constructed a DIY dog house using an old rickshaw and cover, incorporating bedding and insulating it with plastic to ensure protection for the dogs during winter.

A new puppy pari was found outside the colony, with a broken leg in the month of January 2024. A car had run over her and left her injured.

We took her to the vet, Dr. Kharb in Munirka Vihar and her leg was bandaged and put in a splint.

After a month an x- ray was taken to see the healing which was successful.

Pari is now normal, fully healed and running around.

We got Pari spayed when she was a year old. 

In March 2023 several dogs in the neighbourhood were given anti rabies vaccines .

Some neighbourhood dogs were sent for sterilisation.

Vaccinations are done every year for all the dogs in the community

Dog feeding continues on a regular basis.

For years, we have been getting winter coats for community dogs from the market to help them stay warm during the colder months. 

These dogs spend most of their lives outdoors and often face harsh weather, especially during cold nights. 

By providing them with coats, we try to give them a little protection and comfort. 

It may seem like a small gesture, but for dogs living on the streets, even this small effort can make a big difference in helping them stay warm and safe.

Rani had come to stay as a puppy outside mother dairy behind Munirka Vihar sometime in March 2023. She is a very sweet and loving dog.

She was obviously a stray and was either abandoned outside mother dairy or had walked in from somewhere and joined the other dogs living here.

Rani came into heat early in June and once her heat period was over I approached Dr. Ranjit Kharb to spay her at his clinic so as to control the dog population and also for Rani’s welfare and wellbeing.

25 th June was fixed for the spay and surgery and Rani was spayed as planned. I contributed Rs.5000/- towards the surgery.

After surgery Rani had to be sent for post operative care to Aarti Bhardwaj’s shelter by Dr.Kharb and he contributed towards her stay for about two weeks till her healing.

Rani is now back safe and sound.

On 14th December 2022, Hasmukh an old black and white dog who stays outside mother dairy of munirka vihar was hit by a driver Rajesh of Ashoka International which is a transport company and has its office on the top floor of munirka vihar commercial complex.

Due to the negligence of the driver this poor old dog called Hasmukh has suffered a broken bone in his hind leg. The driver drove off and left the poor dog yelping in pain.

It was one of Dr. Kharbs boys namely Lal Singh who ran behind the car, caught him at the red light and brought him back to the colony to show him the result of his rash driving.

Hasmukh then was taken to Dr. Kharbs Clinic where an x ray was taken and a splint was fixed in an effort to join the bone.

However on 19th December another x ray was taken to see if the bone was joining and it was observed that no positive development was taking place. Dr.Ranjit Kharb then recommended surgery after Hasmukhs blood test reports came and were normal.

Dr. Moushmi Kharb and I complained to the owners of Ashoka International about their driver, but they have taken the matter very lightly and have not offered to help in any way.

Their huge trucks and other vehicles have done harm to these poor innocent animals in the past too and this is not the first time that a dog has been hit and has suffered permanent disabilities due to their rash and negligent drivers. Dogs have also died due to their vehicles driving over them.

On 23rd December Dr.Ranjit Kharb operated on Husmukh’s leg and fixed a rod. It was a long operation and lasted for almost 4 hours. Hasmukh was then sent for post operative care and treatment to Aarti Bhardwaj’s shelter in Chattarpur and was there for about two months.

The cost of operation and post-operative care worked out to Rupees forty thousand. Treatment is still ongoing as the dog is still weak and the implant rod which was inserted will have to be removed

We have been looking after victory since the last 10-12 years when she was born as a small pup in our colony.

Recently Victory developed a severe ear infection and was constantly scratching her ear which had turned red.

We took her to the vet who prescribed antibiotics and ear drops which were administered to her and she is better now.

On the night of 8th November 2022 we kept hearing sounds of a kitten meowing . We were getting to hear these sounds in our bedroom from the window.

I went outside late in the night to check from where the sound was coming but could not make out in the dark. Early morning again I went out to check and suspected that the kitten was stuck in the drain below but which was cemented so needed to be opened.

Vikram and Maan Singh the sweepers were called by 9.30 by Das the Supervisor and they broke open the top of the drain but could not find the kitten. Again as the meowing continued we suspected that the kitten was stuck in the drain pipe which was coming down from the terrace. So both the men started opening the lowest pipe .

When we found no kitten in that pipe the next pipe with the elbow was opened and the kitten was there stuck in that pipe. She was taken out and jumped down and was caught by Vikram in a towel which was kept handy.

Basically the mother cat and kitten must have been on the terrace and the kitten fell into the drain water pipe and fell down and got stuck within.

So it was very traumatic for the kitten as well as it was a difficult search operation for all of us involved.

On 19 th June 2022 I had been to Vasant Vihar, C Block Market for some work when I found a cow with a maggot wound on its backside that needed to be treated. On enquiring from the shopkeepers about its owner, no one seemed to know.

I tried to call for help but was not successful that day. I took the contact number of Mr.Sabu, a shop keeper there and told him that I would try to get help in the next few days and that he should contact me when he sees the cow again.

Mr.Sabu was co-operative and on 21st June he called me at 11 am in the morning to say that the cow had come to the market and that he had tied her up under a tree. I contacted Jyoti, another animal welfare activists who arranged for an ambulance and medication from Kamdhenu Hospital, Bahadurgarh, Haryana.

These people arrived at about 1.20 pm in the afternoon and took charge of the cow and treated her, cleaned the maggot infested wound, injected her to dry up the wound and then released her.

A maggot wound is very dangerous and can endanger the life of an animal and so it was important that treatment be done in time. It was a difficult task, and many people had to be called to control the hefty cow. However, treatment was satisfactorily done.

I thanked all these volunteers and gaushala people who had come from so far to attend to the injured cow and gave a small token amount.

In the month of May 2022 a lady sweeper of my residential colony approached me for help for her kitten that had been run over by a motorbike.

I immediately coordinated with the local vet Dr.Ranjit Kharb and sent her with the kitten for treatment. 

An X ray was taken, and it was found that the kittens back was fractured.

The kitten was in pain so pain killers and other medication and injections were given.

The doctor felt it was a hopeless case, but the caretakers said they would want to get it medically treated. 

The caretakers have been taking good care of the kitten and although it hasn’t recovered fully, they have kept it and are looking after it and it has survived and manages to move around.

Since the caretakers did not want to put it to sleep they are looking after it and we are helping with medication and food. It has been six months now and the cat is healthy and cheerful and moves pretty fast in spite of its injured back.

We are trying to see if we can organize a cart for its hind portion as the owners are very positive and the kitten has now become a cat with a survival instinct.

This programme of feeding dogs in and around my colony , I have been doing for the past 15-20 years now. I have been personally feeding all the colony dogs both times since the last so many years and this has helped me in vaccinating them and also in catching them and sending for sterilizations so as to control their population.

However, since the past one year I have appointed a feeder who prepares chicken and rice and comes every morning and feeds all the dogs within the colony and those who live outside too.

About 20-25 dogs are being fed by us in Munirka daily. Controlling the dog population helps to resolve the human-animal conflict and therefore is very important. People only complain about dogs but do not want to do anything to solve the problem.

It takes a lot of time, effort and money to have the dogs caught, sent to an animal hospital for sterilization, post operative care and then have them released back in their own territory. However, due to these efforts the dog population remains under control, and we do not have unwanted litters ever few months.

Kaalus Medicated Bath

This is about Kaalu a very sweet , loyal and timid dog who has been living in our colony since almost ten years now. This dog has attached himself to a family and stays outside their house, is very loyal to them but unfortunately does not get the same response from them.

We have to be thankful for small mercies as they let him sit outside their door and sometimes keep a bowl of pedigree but never bother to wash the bowl. My trying to get them involved in looking after the dog has failed so I have taken it upon myself to feed him daily as well as to treat him medically as and when required.

Since Kaalu stays outside this family's flat he is prone to ticks and skin problems for which I get him to Dr.Kharbs for regular baths and medical treatment. Day before too, on the 25th of October 2022 I had Dr. Kharbs boys muzzle him and take him for a bath which I supervised and paid for and dropped him back to his place.

In the cold winters too I provide a blanket for kaalu so that he doesn’t fall sick.

On 13 th May 2022 at about eight thirty on Friday night I received a call from Rashmi Chopra that a kitten had fallen into a manhole near her house, in our residential colony of Munirka Vihar.

Divya and I went running to see if we could get her out. It was dark and the manhole was 8 feet deep. We called Vijay to help out. We tried calling people for help but no one seemed to be available at that time. We tried putting a bucket inside but the kitten was not able to jump into it We then called Man Singh the sweeper in our colony who was at his home .

We requested him to come to the colony and help save the kitten. Man Singh was good and kind enough to come at that time. By the time he came it was 9.15 and he climbed inside the manhole using a rope.

Vijay and Divya were showing light into the manhole. Man Singh managed to get hold of the kitten and handed it over to us. Vijay helped Man Singh to climb out of the manhole.

We cleaned up the kitten as she was wet and dirty and left her with her mother who was hovering around. We then covered the manhole with a big stone slab so as to avoid further such mishaps. We thanked Man Singh for helping us and coming from his home at night and rewarded him suitably.

Victory who was born in our colony eleven to twelve years ago. Victory was a scared and shy puppy and so needed a lot of care and protection and although she was a colony dog she came home for food and came for shelter whenever she was in trouble.

She remained in good health for about ten ,  eleven years but in the twelfth year she seemed to have lost her appetite and was eating very little. Initially we thought that because of the heat she was not eating well. But when her appetite did not improve I took her to Dr.Ranjit Kharb’s Clinic in our colony Munirka Vihar.

A blood test was conducted on Victory on 7th July 2023 to find out as to why she was having a poor appetite.

The results of the blood test that came on 8th July 2023 were very disturbing and serious. The doctor said that she had kidney failure and treatment was started immediately through iv treatment.

So on 8th and 9th July Victory was given iv fluids through a drip.

On 10th July along with the iv fluids Doxy injection was also started for low platelet count due to tick fever.

Treatment of iv fluids and doxy injections was continued on 11th,12th,13th and 14th July.

Another blood test was conducted on 14th July also but the results again were not good and the test showed very high creatinine levels.

The doctor said chances of survival were very poor and we should try treating the dog at home and keep it as comfortable as we could.

We brought victory home and tried best with oral medication and feeding it with special food for dogs with kidney condition.

However Victory’s condition kept deteriorating and we could only force her to have few spoons of her dog food everyday and sips of water. Unfortunately Victory passed away on 20th July 2023.