A Day with Dr Momin
In the clinic inside the Animal Rescue area, Momin is holding a pup as Radha cleans the wound on its foreleg and ties a bandage. Momin’s large, beaming eyes and broad open face acknowledge my presence. He tells me that the pup was run over last night by a car rushing uphill, most-likely to McLeod Ganj, to beat the heat on the weekend. Ghost, as the pup is called, yelps inside her cone as Radha applies antiseptic on the sutured wound, where the skin had come off and the bone was visible. Peepal Farm received a call around 8.30 last night, when the accident happened. Momin and Sahil, who had finished their day officially at 7, rushed back to the centre to attend to the case. “Tomorrow, we will take him to Palampur to get an X-ray done,” Momin tells me.
Momin informs me, as we ride to attend a few ‘treat-on-street’ cases (“Chaliye Sir, aapko Kangra ki sher karate hai”), that his name means ‘the one who is pious,’ although he is an atheist. His father is a modern Muslim, “clean shaven, with a moustache” and his mother an old-fashioned one. Young and energetic — he finds the work “fascinating”– he has made the conscious choice of living and working within a small village (Dhanotu, where Peepal Farm is located), moving in the direction opposite to that followed by most youth. “Sir, humne toh ghat-ghat ka pani piya hai,” meaning that he has always been on the move with his family.
In Bhatech, we go to treat three pups that have been infected by a contagious skin condition. The family who is taking care of the strays is affectionate towards the dogs and welcomes us. Momin administers neem oil to the pups and gives a shampoo and cream free of charge. The charges of visit too, as in the case of strays, are borne by Peepal Farm, hence completely free of cost to the host family. When a pet is attended, the small fee includes doctor’s charges and basic medication at subsidised rates. We then go to treat Sky, who like Ghost, was also run over by a car. Sky is a furry adopted stray, who refrains to get up when he sees us. The owner pulls him up by the leash, when he finally manages to stand up on three legs. Momin ties a gauze strip around Sky’s mouth, slightly jutting outside the collar, before he begins to change the bandage on his hind leg. The family, regardless of the dog’s miserable condition, is willing to take care of it and appreciates Momin’s care and attention.
The ‘treat-on-street’ cases are truly communal efforts to ensure the safety and health of animals. They are the synergetic coming together of spontaneous action by locals and the resourcefulness of doctors, interns and volunteers at Peepal Farm to provide quick and effective treatment on site. They reassure us that, despite the instances of apathy towards animals, there are people who are empathetic, alert and oriented towards immediate and positive action.
When Momin comes around to say goodbye at dinner time, we invite him to join us but he declines, saying he has to go to the gym. Robin quips, “Ise model banna chahiye tha, vet ban gaya.”
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