post news network, Bhubaneswar, April 29: Taking numerous calls from would-be dog owners, dog owners, animal activists and pet lovers are now a part of Subrat Prusti’s daily life. He has walked the extra mile to strengthen the bond between Man and his ‘best friend’. In effect, he has created a space where dogs can ‘socialise’.
Prusti is the secretary of the Orissa Kennel Club in the city, which started its journey way back in 1982 to serve the interests of animals. He has been working for the last 33 years for animal rights and animal welfare. The club now has around 60 members, all living in the city and its adjoining areas. They often meet to ensure that the ‘voices’ of their pets are heard.
“Every Sunday evening members of the club meet to get acquainted with the ways and means for the upkeep of their pets. We mainly deal with dogs, but eagerly extend our services to other animals too. We train the dogs on managing their aggression and behaviour and also the owners on how to take proper care of those,” says Prusti.
The executive members of the three-decade-old club also engage themselves in the counselling of prospective dog owners, who plan to adopt dogs of their choice. “Many a time, people unaware of the practical realities buy a breed without knowing many details about it. During the counselling sessions we tell them which breed will suit their temperament. Different species of dogs have different temperaments. While some are gentle, some are aggressive, some are lazy and some are very enthusiastic. The owner should always consider his/her lifestyle before buying the pet,” the secretary said.
He went to add, “Things like how much one can afford on their pet’s food, how much time one can devote for the pets, how much spacious is one’s home, etc. are crucial aspects to consider before you decide on the breed that would best suit your demands. Counselling, thus, helps the prospective owners to know what breed of dogs would best suit their lifestyle,” says Prusti.
Many members in the city meanwhile are delighted to be a part of the club which makes sure the dogs are properly trained and nurtured.
“I have four German Shepherds. Every Sunday I take them to a ground where several dogs owned by different people meet and socialise. This socialisation and outing of the dogs drastically help in nurturing their behaviour. Socialising often reduces the level of their aggressiveness and makes them friendlier with not only other dogs but also human beings. This strengthens their human-animal bonding,” says Jaydarshi Nayak, a city-based businessman.
Meanwhile, others are thankful to the club for organising several events for the four-legged friends of men. “I often take my dogs for the dog show organised by the club, annually. It helps in grooming of the pets. This gives them a platform to meet up with other dogs of similar species and enjoy the moment. Besides, the club also helps in guiding the owners when help is sought,” says Swheta Parikh, owner of 15 dogs from three breeds.
The club at present is working on ‘Canine Good Citizen Programme’, which is giving dogs training on their behaviour in public places. Quite popular abroad, this programme aims at training the canines how to behave properly in public places. With trainings like this one can avert any possible damages they might do to either another human being or animals.
The club is also speaking to different institutions and offices to start a medical diagnostic centre for dogs besides constructing an electric crematorium to cremate the dogs with dignity, once they die.
What does the club do?
- Hold dog shows
- Train dogs so that they better manage their ‘anger’ and become more ‘social’
- Provides space both for the dogs and their owners to meet
- Offers counselling to the would-be dog owners. Tells them about the breed that would best suit their lifestyle and temperament.
- Works to strengthen man-animal bond
What does the club plans to do?
- Club working on setting up a diagnostic centre for the dogs
- Wants to construct an electric crematorium for the dogs