Shanti was a street puppy who lived in a waste area in Anand Vatika. She was cared for daily by a kind girl. Shanti’s mother had already abandoned her and Shanti’s sister would take her share of food, even though there was enough for both.
Despite being a little puppy, life was already pretty rough for Shanti. Her front right leg was damaged, which caused wounds as she dragged it while walking.
We used to clean her wound and provide medication for the inflammation and pain but, it was difficult for her wound to heal due to the dragging. Unfortunately, we had no option but to have her leg amputated.
We couldn’t send her for surgery until we had a shelter for her post-surgery, where she could heal safely for at least two weeks. We asked many people for help, but no one was able to.
A few days later, Shanti’s caregiver contacted us in despair because Shanti’s leg had worsened, and small amounts of bone were protruding from her increasingly swollen limb. Her appetite had also decreased and the case became critical. Determined, Braj Animal Care approached their contact, who usually fosters animals but had refused due to lack of resources. She agreed to shelter Shanti until she recovered. The amputation was successful.
We checked on Shanti in the shelter twice, and she seemed to be doing fine. However, in the evening we received the devastating news that Shanti had passed away. We informed her caregiver, who was deeply upset; she did not get a chance to say goodbye to her beloved get a chance to say goodbye to her beloved puppy, whom she fed, cuddled, and kissed daily. It was truly heartbreaking.
We buried Shanti next to the beautiful River Yamuna. She did not have to die alone in a wasteland, and while there is both peace and grief felt by all involved, the end-of-life care that these animals received helps bring closure.
There is a lot of work carried out behind the scenes when caring for street animals that we cannot fully capture in our videos. However, to honour those involved in the journey, we can write detailed accounts about the animals we loved and cared for, especially during their final days.
It is our mission to create our own Braj Animal Care sanctuary here in Vrindavan where these stray Brajwasis, especially those with long-term disabilities, can live permanently.