Daring Rescue by ‘Rajani Shetty’ Reunites Family With Cat ‘Pooja’ Stranded in a 50 ft Well since Four Days
Mangaluru: Animal Lover and Daringt Mrs Rajani Damodar Shetty is in the news again, and this time for her efforts in trying to rescue a cat, fallen into a 50 ft well, and had remained stranded there for nearly four days. And now, after being rescued, ‘Pooja’, the lucky feline is holding on to all of her nine lives at home this morning. This domestic shorthair cat, missing since four days, was noticed by a neighbour of the family owning the cat .The cat belonged to Mrs Snehalatha Raman, residing in Yeyyadi, Mangaluru, and the person who saw the cat in the well and provided the information was Ms Maithri Sharma. It was Ms Sharma who got in touch with City’s talented ‘Snake Catcher ‘Atul Pai, who called Mrs Rajani Shetty to do the needful in rescuing the Cat- and as always Rajani never says ‘No’ for such service.
No one knows how the cat might have fallen into the well. After receiving the call from Atul, Ms Rajani along with her husband Damodar, quickly rushed to the spot, and made arrangements in an attempt to rescue the cat. Tying a rope around her waist, Rajani was slowly lowered into the 50 ft well, with the help of her husband and one more volunteer holding the rope, secured. Since it was too dark at the bottom of the well, it was hard to see the cat, but with the help of a flashlight, the cat was seen. Being scared while stranded in the well for four days, the cat was not too cooperative, and tried to hide. Spending nearly 25 minutes trying to catch the cat, Ms Rajani was getting tired and losing hope, She asked her helpers to pull her back- and also that it started to rain heavily-it was impossible for her to continue her rescue efforts.
Next day, with the help of workers who do well-cleaning work, the cat was rescued and it was a happy ending for “Pooja”, to be reunited with the family. The adventurous feline is now safe at home, enjoying with her grateful family. Animals seem to find their way to the strangest places to be stuck in – but their rescuers are braving their way to get them out, as well- and Ms Rajani Shetty is one among them. Pets stuck in unusual situations isn’t uncommon – it actually happens a lot more than you would think. Animals have a tendency to manage to get to hard-to-reach situations and then stay stuck there. Especially in Mangaluru, where open wells are a lot more common than usual – animals seem to find their way down the wells and once there, manage to find no way out.
We need to applaud Ms Rajani for her daring attempts in rescuing animals, and also being an animal lover, who with her husband manages to get these animals rescued. And when we have a person, that too a woman, in the City, we don’t need a hulk to do that job. Getting in and out of a well as quickly as possible is no joke, and indeed it isn’t a joke. Ms Rajani takes risks in order to make rescues, but she manages to do it with caution. Ms Rajani is almost a Saviour in town- and people reach out to her constantly for her to rescue animals. This is not the first time in recent times that an animal has fallen down a well and needed rescuing.
Talking about her rescue operations in the past, she is grateful to her husband and her children, who support her in her mission.
While doing rescue operations, Ms Rajani says “This is why the team on top is perhaps equally important. We need strong people on top, who make sure the rope isn’t slipping, have the energy to pull both the rescuer and the animal out and make sure if anything is needed they can provide it. I have been always lucky to have good volunteers along with my husband, during my animal rescue efforts”. And apart from all these animal rescue efforts, Ms Rajani feeds over 400 plus stray dogs, day and night, by going around in the scooter rode by her husband. And especially during the lockdown, many stray animals went starving- and Ms Rajani came to their rescue.
And while humans have been finding myriad ways to deal with the lock down, stray animals have ended up becoming an unforeseen casualty of the lock down.
And when such is the present situation in Mangaluru, it would be a good gesture from Mangaloreans to feed as many strays as possible in their areas and whenever possible to help the animals survive. There should be many animal lovers in Mangaluru, and therefore, it is the need of the hour that at least you all come forward and feed these hungry four-legged, and also the beggars, if you come across. Looking at these stray dogs, they look weak, with sad faces and eyes- but they have been totally neglected by the Govt veterinary dept or by the district administration.
Just like we humans need our daily essentials, the district administration should allot times for designated workers or volunteers to provide food and water to strays since it is also an “essential service”. They should also run awareness campaigns for the public to adopt feeding street animals. Law enforcement agencies may also be directed to see that animals do not suffer due to hunger. But unfortunately it seems like it has not been done. And when such is the case, Ms Rajani Shetty has stepped in and has been feeding hundreds of strays over a decade- and still continues to do so.
Her efforts in feeding the strays and also rescuing animals has earned BIG respect and applauds from the citizens of Mangaluru, including her BIG fan MLA Vedavyas Kamath, who has promised her 200 kg of rice every month to feed the strays- and he always calls her and compliments, whenever she does a good work. Yes, Ms Rajani Damaodar Shetty, aged 40, is a TRUE Animal Lover, who finds the company of dogs much more endearing and comforting than the company of fellow human beings. Taking care of these furry friends isn’t new to her, since she has been a Good Samaritan to stray animals for over a decade.
Yes, during time when many animal cruelty cases are being reported, this woman stands out as a stark contrast. Despite the lack of support, Ms Rajani with her own money, spends on these canines, for their food, medicines and care. She is alone in her battle to rescue these dogs, who are otherwise ignored and left to fend for themselves. She does not have many helping hands in her endeavour; her neighbours constantly harass her because of this initiative and the only other people who help her out in her efforts, is her beloved Husband, and her three children.
Speaking about her work she does, Ms Rajani said “Just like us, human beings these animals also have lives and they also need to live like we do. When they need someone to love and pet them, we should help out. I feel happy when I save animals, including snakes and other reptiles who are on the verge of dying, that I gave them a new lease of life. Till I am alive, nothing will happen to these stray ones, and I won’t let” she said with the proud air of a matriarch. Even her daughter Swetha says that she feels proud of what her mother does for stray animals, and someday she too may be like her Mother- a Good Saviour to these neglected animals.
If anyone of our readers would like to help financially or with pet products, and the present expenses all these Animal Lovers are bearing in feeding more stray dogs, you can contact Ms Rajani Damodar Shetty at 8904563332, 8904563331or visit her house located in “Doddahithlu”, Ballalbagh, Mangaluru.
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