Mangaluru, KARNATAKA :

Animal lover Tauseef authors a book which chronicles the story of stray dogs

About six years ago, when 29-year-old Tauseef Ahmed started volunteering for the Animal Care Trust, he was advised against it. Reason: He is a Muslim. Tauseef, an MBA graduate, currently runs a real estate agency based in Mangaluru. He hails from Kudremukh in Chikkamgaluru district and grew up in a family that loves animals.

Speaking to Bangalore Mirror, he said, “At any given time, you can find at least 6-7 dogs sleeping near the garage of our home. My parents sensitised us to show compassion towards animals. Once in Mangaluru, people started questioning me in the name of religion. I felt religion is being misinterpreted. I consulted religious heads, who told me that the scientific reason could be to prevent the spread of infection. Whenever I share a post on social media about a rescue, while a majority of people appreciate my work, there are a few who tell me that I am not doing the right thing. For me, there is nothing more important than saving a life. When people ask why I rescue animals, I tell them, I always wanted to be a super hero and this is the only way I can feel being one. I am living my dream by being involved in rescues,” he said.

Tauseef is working towards bringing about a change in society. For the past six years, he has been a volunteer and rescue in-charge at Animal Care Trust (ACT). Through ACT’s Human Education Programme, they visit schools. “One day, a Muslim girl told me that in case she touched a dog, she would have to take a bath seven times. I tell children that if it is God who has created the universe, he would not create animals if they were not meant to be touched. I have noticed that this attitude is more in Mangaluru. I will try and convince children that there is nothing wrong in touching dogs.”

The number of volunteers in Mangaluru is very low. According to Tauseef, for a population of about six lakh, we have just 50-60 volunteers. “There are many people who express love towards animals, but we are not able to get sufficient volunteers. Our dream is to launch the neighbourhood dog community and we are working towards it,” he said.

“The other campaign that ACT has launched is’Go Desi”. Like cars, when it comes to dogs, people prefer imported ones such as Siberian Huskies. We have observed that the there is a drop in demand in Labradors and German Shepherds. People often forget that these breeds come from puppy mills. Some people take care of them until they start feeling that the dog is a burden. ACT has been extensively promoting “Go Desi” in an effort to promote adoption of local breeds. At the end of the day, having a desi dog means fewer visits to the vet.”

Straying around you

Tauseef has authored a book ‘Straying Around You’ which is a life story of a stray dog. This is an attempt to explain the hardships faced by these beautiful souls. The 100-page book and out of 500 copies released last month, about 350 copies have already been sold. A dog narrates the story and most of the narration is based on real-life experiences, he said.

source: http://www.bangaloremirror.com / Bangalore Mirror / Home> News> State / by Deepthi Sanjiv, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / August 18th, 2016