Sultan, a seven-year-old rottweiler is dejected. He was abandoned by his owners and left tied to a pillar in Ashok Nagar. That is when Dinesh Baba, an animal rescuer, found him and sheltered him at his hospital, Cloud 9. Like Sultan, he noticed a number of senior dogs being abandoned over the years. This made him start a facility to home these animals. After eight months of fundraising, the ROA Shelter is finally ready in Koovathur. It has 35 pets living there, including Sultan and Babe, a chubby five-year-old pig. “We rescued Babe during Cyclone Vardah. Her mother and siblings were dead,” says Dinesh.
The 30,000 square feet property has 35 kennels, each measuring around 10 feet. Every kennel has an indoor and outdoor facility. There are German Shepherd dogs, Labradors, Pomeranians, indies... some of them are disabled. “Old animals need space. We also have space for physiotherapy and for them to play and walk. There are six staff members to take care of them,” he adds. Every dog has its own diet based on their age and health condition, including supplements. “If a dog has renal failure, we cannot add protein to their meal,” says Dinesh. All the meals are cooked fresh. The menu includes rice, dal, pumpkin, chicken and eggs. They are given two meals a day, while some dogs require three meals a day.
