Jammu Municipal Corporation recently awarded a Kashmiri migrant living in the district's Hakkal village for rescuing over 368 street animals, and rehabilitating them with the help of trust.
Speaking to ANI, Namrata Hakhoo, founder of 'Hakhoo Street Animals Foundation Trust', said as a migrant, she "understands the pain of homeless animals."
Not just dogs and cats, in the shelter for injured and stray animals run by the trust, there are numerous stray animals including pigs, calves, monkeys, birds, among others.
Jammu Municipal Corporation awarded her with a certificate of "Appreciation in recognition of significant and outstanding contribution in the field of Animal welfare" on October 4, 2021.
"People should respect and consider pet animals as a part of their families and treat them well. Whenever I come across an abandoned or injured animal, I tend to get it home," said Hakhoo.
She urged people to contribute towards the cause of animal rehabilitation and said, "from food to medicines and surgeries to treatments for the rescued animals, we have been using our savings. There is no help from outside. We sold my mother's wedding jewellery and might have to sell the house as well to run the rehabilitation centre."
Hakhoo believes that there should be stern rules with regard to animal safety. "Rule should be so strict that people think 1 lakh times before abandoning their pet" she added.
"Animal cruelty has increased in Jammu. People beat dogs, put acid and hot water on them. Dogs are community animals and they have equal rights too. It is crucial for the government to make proper laws concerning this issue," Hakhoo added.
Namrata's mother, Urmila Hakhoo has been feeding and rescuing dogs since 1993, told ANI, "I just request people that they support my daughter in her endeavour to rescue animals and do not abandon their own pets and leave them on the streets". (ANI)
