BE A SUPERHERO TODAY

We all love superheroes. All the love and admiration that we have for them is just beyond the highs of the sky. So, what would you do if you got a chance to be someone’s superhero? You all are probably raising your eyebrows to that. But yes my friend, you can be someone’s hero!

Jones and Manaswini - Picture by Shivani Dugha Now the question arises as to how one becomes a superhero. The answer is simple – SAVE A LIFE. You don’t have to hold an entire stadium over your head or have a cape around your neck to save lives. You just need to give a homeless animal a place in your heart and your home (food and water too!) By giving it a shelter, you’re not only saving its life, but changing its world completely. And that makes you a superhero, his/her superhero.

PAL Adoption Camp - Picture by Manaswini Shetye

There are thousands of abandoned animals, animals that are looking for a home where they will be loved and respected. And only you can help them get that. The suffering that puppy and kitten mills propagate are not common knowledge and hence some of us even today look at buying a pet as an option. Once we understand the truth behind these immoral practices, we as ethical people will automatically choose to Adopt! It is our responsibility to help our four legged companions and moreover, help ourselves.

Varenya Vaish and Jerry at the PAL Adoption camp - Picture by Manaswini Shetye

Pets can be great healers. They are miracle with paws. They are the best friends you can ever have – no questions, no criticisms. From being the smallest of your family members to being a psychiatrist, they can be anything and everything you want them to be. There's nothing else we can ever ask for.

A lot of people stand in dilemma between buying and adoption. Since they have very limited knowledge about adoption and fostering, they resolve for buying. However, it is always better to opt for adoption because, for starters, no amount of money can value a life. We do not go to a shop to ‘buy’ a baby when we wish to have one. Then why do it for the animals? There are a million reasons why you should adopt a pet rather than buying one. The most obvious ones are that you are not just saving one, but two lives.

Picture by Manaswini Shetye

One. By adopting or fostering a pet in need and giving him the happiness of his life.

Emily is an abandoned spitz - rehomed through PAL adoption camp
PC - Manaswini Shetye

Two. By adopting a pet who is already been brought into this world, you are reducing the demand for pets from the mills, thus reducing the suffering of the animals who are forced to meet the demands. 

“Breeders cannot be solely blamed,” explains Manaswini Shetye, core committee member of the Pet Owners and Animal Lovers Foundation (PAL). “Once people know about adoption, they start criticizing the breeders. However, they cannot be solely blamed. As long as there’s a demand for specifications in a pet, breeders will exist. It is like being in India and demanding to buy a kid of American descent - outright racism, if you ask me.”

LUNA the great dane is a handicapped because she was ill treated by a breeder.

Also, by adopting a pet from a good and trustworthy organisation, you have a surety that the animal will be healthy and all the details about your prospective companion will be shared with you - like what they eat, when they go out, what time they sleep, what is their favourite toy, etc. There are no secrets in adoption. Moreover, you and your pet will always receive help and guidance.

Fostering a puppy is always a good option for first timers.
PC - Manaswini Shetye

Fostering is an amazing option that all people who have ever considered having a pet in their lives must look into. It can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience and at the same time you are helping save a life. By fostering a pet, you are giving him a taste of his beautiful life ahead. If you are an animal lover and hesitant about adopting, you should try fostering a pet for the experience. “You understand through first hand experience what it takes to adopt a pet for a lifetime if you foster one pet for weeks,” says Mrs Padmaja Rajasimhan, a foster parent with the PAL Foundation. It's taking your love for the pet to a different level.

Lastly, as Anatole France puts it - Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened.

Pet Owners and Animal Lovers Foundation (PAL) is an NGO which works for a better future for animals in Thane city. PAL aims to help animals by educating and empowering people with the right kind of information which enables them to understand and deal with animal related issues. PAL believes strongly in evoking a sense of compassion in human beings towards animals and works with the youth and children to achieve this. PAL also rescues animals and gives them for adoption once they are healthy and fit. They have a specialised adoption team which is headed by Ms. Neha Dabir and look at matching the right animal with the right family through fostering and adoptions.

So if you are keen on becoming a superhero today, pick up the phone and call PAL on 9324699829 / 9833277040 or email on petownersandanimallovers@gmail.com. Alternately, you can also check out their adoption page on facebook - www.facebook.com/mypalclub

To read more about PAL’s work visit www.mypalclub.org

The article is by Shonali Pandey who is an animal lover and an adopter herself. She has a beautiful cat named Arya. She loves writing and is working with PAL to help create a better world for animals.
**This article belongs to Pet Owners and Animal Lovers Foundation. Any attempt to replicate any content without permission will lead to legal consequences.