Couple dedicates life for animal rights and welfare

Ashok Raina

Kangra, August 2

A young couple, after leaving their jobs in the United States, is serving ailing and injured animals in Dhanotu village.

Robin Singh and his wife Shivani had a passion to serve and feed stray animals since childhood but left to the US in 2003.

Robin, while talking to this correspondent, said it took him a decade to realise that he himself should serve the injured animals instead of seeking help from others.

He said it was in 2013 that he decided to move back to India and work for the rights and welfare of animals.

In December, 2014, they built a “Peepal Farm” which had a cow shed, a clinic and a few environment-friendly rooms for injured animals.

“Injured stray cows, dogs and mules are given treatment here unless we can find a home for them. The cow shelters here are in a bad shape and it is not possible to leave cows there,” he said.

Robin said, “Rescue work is like running on a treadmill. We also focus on solutions which can help address the issue of animal rights.”

For dogs, we were encouraging adoptions and had coined the term “Desi log, Desi dog”, he added

There is no consumption of any animal product, including milk, in the farm. The couple is instead growing soya beans and making “tofu” which is healthy, low-fat, high-protein, cheaper and cruelty free alternative to cheese.

For financial sustainability, they were working on “cow dung pots”. Once we are successful in creating awareness about these pots, we can encourage farmers not to abandon their “unproductive” cows and bulls and instead sustain them by making and selling pots from cow dung.

The couple has sought help from the government to help them set up a gaushala.