“Every once in a while a dog enters your life and changes everything.”
It’s true, dogs always play an important role in our life. They make us feel comfortable, just like we would feel in the company of our closest friends. They teach us loyalty, friendship and the meaning of unconditional love. Sometimes, they can propel us to be something more!
Here is an inspiring story of Vani Jhaveri, who found her calling after the death of two neighborhood dogs that she loved from childhood.
Here is her story in her own words:
The building I grew up in had 2 dogs and every evening I’d look forward to playing with them more than anything else. I’d buy them packets of biscuits and feed them every single day as well.
My love for animals began when I was really young and obviously I wanted a pet, but my grandparents didn’t approve of it as they thought our house wasn’t big enough for a dog. So I made best friends with our building dogs Dumbo and Chhotu since I was 2 years old. At the age of 5 I learnt the meaning of the word ‘vet’ and ever since then that’s all I wanted to be.
When I was in my junior college Dumbo was diagnosed with ascites and had about 2 months to live and those were the toughest 2 months of my life so far. He passed away mid December 2009 and a month later, Chhotu who was about 16, injured his leg and his health started deteriorating. I used to volunteer with an animal welfare NGO where I actively took part in on street first aid for stray animals. I did the little I could for him, and finally moved him to the shelter so he could be taken better care of. In a span of 3 days he passed away too. Suddenly the entire place felt so empty. I didn’t know how to deal with it and unlike most people who refrain from any further animal attachments after losing a pet, I knew I needed to get a new baby to fill that void in my life. Within 5 days I went and adopted CJ, my son, now 7 years old– the one around who my whole life revolves around.
It was at this point that I decided to become a vet. I couldn’t bear to ever be in that helpless position ever again where I’d have a sick and dying animal in front of me and I couldn’t do anything about it.
I started school in 2011 and through the whole process I’ve worked closely with strays. Every time I learnt something new in class I would stop on the road whenever I saw a stray dog and examine him to make sure he wasn’t suffering. I’ve worked on almost every animal since then and I’m currently in the process of collecting funds to shelter my strays — they suffer so much cruelty that it breaks my heart. I’m working hard every day to create a world where they aren’t voiceless…where they can just co-exist.
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Reference: Humans of Bombay