Braj Animal Care welcomes volunteers who wish to come and serve our animal friends with us out on the streets of Vrindavan. Here, Kirtida Anuragini, a dear devotee of Radharamanji and a microbiologist from New Delhi, shares her experience of volunteering with the team:
“I finally got the opportunity to volunteer with Braj Animal Care, a longtime wish of mine. The case involved five very sick puppies living in the Radharaman Temple campus. We received calls about them late in the night, and by all accounts, these puppies were not well at all. When we arrived at the scene, one had already died, two were really struggling to survive, and the other two were in a better condition than their siblings.
“The Braj Animal Care vet, Dr. Shrivastav, confirmed what we suspected already. The puppies had parvovirus, a deadly disease which kills them very quickly. The puppies were administered medication and saline, but I could see that their condition was deteriorating rapidly. We kept fighting to give the puppies any possible chance of survival, unwilling to leave them in their time of need.
Kirtida with another puppy patient
of need. While our emotions were swinging between a flicker of hope and fear of the eventual outcome, we asked the children who had gathered around to sing kirtan with us and bless the puppies’ souls. We also got some prasadi tulsi of Shri Radharamanji from the temple and placed it in the mouths of the dead and dying.
“By morning, only the strongest puppy remained with us, and despite having already been exposed to parvovirus, he was vaccinated against the disease. More than a week later, that puppy is still alive and doing well. The Braj Animal Care team said that given the seriousness of the situation, the survival of even one puppy is a positive outcome.
“This experience will remain with me for the rest of my life. The most important lesson I learned is to always try my best, no matter how difficult the situation is and without fearing the outcome. I thank Braj Animal Care for this wonderful opportunity and hope to do more seva with this amazing team in the future.”
Since Kirtida came to volunteer with us in Vrindavan, the team has continued to visit the remaining puppy in Radharaman Ghera to treat him. At present, the puppy is doing well and we will continue to look after him the best we can.