Think of a situation where you find a helpless, injured dog on the streets. What will you do? You will probably call the nearest NGO after spending a good amount of time searching for one online. Next, you will post an update on all the social media groups you are a part of. In desperation, you will even call vet vans. However, it is the sad truth that most such stories don’t end well. NGOs don’t respond, social media posts seem like a bleak shot and the private vet services are too out of your bounds.

If you look around carefully, every cloud has a silver lining. Ours came in the form of ResQ Rangers and the identity cards issued by the AWBI (Animal Welfare Board of India).

ResQ Rangers, started by Arun Budakoti and Aneesha Chhikara, is a mobile application designed to help dogs in need. When someone finds an injured animal, they can take a picture and post it on the app with a description and all the other relevant details. Subsequently, a case ID is issued to the incident. Every user of the app can see the picture with the case ID on their news feed. Within the radius of 5 kilometres of the user’s location, a notification is pushed and all volunteers who are actively registered on the app will be able to reach each other.The location and condition of the animal will immediately reach everyone you choose to share the details with. The app shows a host of animal transport services, NGOs and vets one can get in touch with.

According to statistics, India has 40-50 million street animals, over 10 million pet parents and over 40 million animal lovers. To spread the word about rescuing strays, ResQ Rangers is looking to collaborate with major animal welfare organisations like PETA and Friendicoes. This application is currently available for Android users for free, and will soon hit the Apple Store too.

The AWBI is contributing to the welfare of animals by issuing ID cards to animal enthusiasts who are willing to give food, medical attention and care to the furries on their streets. One can get access to these ID cards by filling the application form online.

It is indeed very encouraging to see that people have taken up major responsibilities in this area. To the rigorous hard work and the initiatives being undertaken by all, we would say, more power to you!

Featured Picture Credits: Yourstory