A Single Woman’s Determination Saved the Lives of 5000 Stray Animals
Meet Shalini Arora from Bareilly, and you know you’re meeting someone with an unparalleled determination. Shalini’s unconditional love for animals left me speechless right from the start. As I listened to her narrate, I wondered if I would have been brave enough to put up the fight she did to bring justice to her “children”, as she calls them. This is her story.
I was lucky enough to grow up with a father who was eager to bring home every injured or abandoned animal he found. Over the years, I watched him nurse a love for all animals and followed suit.
I grew concerned when I first noticed the vehement attitude people in my town had towards strays. The contrast between them and my father’s gentle, loving approach was startling. I was brought up to believe animals felt and loved just as humans did, and the widespread cruelty towards animals disturbed me. I soon went on to open my own shelter, Mercy For All Society and housed thousands of loving strays over the years. It’s been a difficult but satisfying journey so far.
It all started with a timid, sweet stray dog named Daisy. I found her in my locality and began feeding her and playing with her everyday. One day, I noticed a bulge in her belly. I began to toy with the idea of adopting the young mother and her new puppies. What happened next changed my life.
A neighbour poisoned Daisy, and she died on the spot.
I was shaken when I found the dead dog. At the time, I was working at People for Animals. I spoke to Maneka Gandhi about the incident, and she promised support. I filed an FIR, and soon, the criminal was behind bars. But I constantly felt dissatisfied. The fight had been for a single stray. Abuse against a million other strays was still rampant.
I wasn’t done. In fact, my journey in animal welfare had only just begun.
Fifteen years ago, I quit my job at People For Animals and began taking in as many injured and/or abandoned animals as I possibly could into my own home. I take in monkeys, cows, bulls, horses, peacocks and an endless number of dogs and cats. I have a business on the side, manufacturing herbal beauty care products and use every single penny I earn to care for my animals.
Donations were negligible, given the effort I put in to acquire them. I couldn’t afford to rent a real shelter to house them until less than two years ago. In these fifteen years, my animals made their homes in my bedroom, my terrace and my backyard.
To say the owner wasn’t moved by my cause is an understatement. He would frequently abuse the animals and cut the electricity supply on a whim. Then I couldn’t take it any longer. I finally planned to build my own shelter, trying not to think about the heavy expense of my decision. My priority was my animals and their happiness. I began crowdfunding to buy a land on the outskirts of Bareilly.
We began construction on the condition that I pay Rs. 5 lakh for the land by March 18th. I shudder to think of the consequences if this deal isn’t met; my animals will have to go back to the cramped rented shelter or even worse, may be left homeless once again. I managed to pool in around Rs. 10 lakh to construct the shelter, but the money for the land is yet to be paid.
I currently host 70 animals, including cows, horses, dogs and cats. With only three full-time staff to pitch in and an unreliable bout of volunteers who come and go, I don’t sleep most nights. I spend most of my time in hospitals. Out of the 5000 I have housed since day one, only three animals have been happily adopted. Another 15–20 were taken in by ill-equipped owners who ended up bringing them back.
What often breaks me is the lack of support. I have held over 60 workshops and awareness camps to educate the public on animals rights. However, most people only ask, “Why do you care so much about animals? Do something good for humans and then maybe we’ll support you.”
Even my husband resented my love for the poor strays for the longest time. As I began hosting strays, things at home became grim and we began fighting. My husband finally gave me an ultimatum: if I didn’t give up my shelter, he would leave. It took all my willpower to not give in, to stay strong and insist that there was no way I was going to give up my animals.
Eventually, he came around. Today, he helps me bring in more strays! What’s even better; my daughter has taken after me and is my most diligent volunteer! My family inspires me everyday and I am thankful. My husband shows me that it’s not too late to change minds, to move people, to evoke concern. And I hope you’ll join me.
As told to Divya Kilikar by Shalini Arora.
Shalini Arora has won several awards for her commendable work in animal welfare over the years, including the Hindustan Times Excellence Award in 2017. She is an Honorary Animal Welfare Officer of the Central Government. She is also part of the CPCSVA Committee that actively works to prevent cruelty against animals. You can contribute towards her cause here.
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