News
Kolkata: Sundari stars in her own rescue!
February 28, 2009, 4:51AM MT
By Sharon St. Joan
Shy street dog barely escapes disaster
Shy street dog barely escapes disaster
By Sharon St. Joan, Best Friends Network
Last December 1 was Sundari's lucky day--well, it ended luckily!
The beginning wasn't so lucky! The word "Sundari" means beautiful.
The lovely street dog was wandering along, and as she went, she wandered by accident into the Metro (subway) entrance of one of Kolkatta's busiest underground stations! Unaware of any danger, she meandered here and there for a few moments. Then she narrowly escaped disaster as she ran along, just inches from the third rail, which is electrified--but no one had told Sundari about the danger. Transport officials chased after Sundari until they were out of breath. Sundari was too quick for them!
Commuters had first reported the dog's predicament to the stationmaster. After the transport officers had exhausted themselves trying in vain to catch Sundari, the stationmaster decided to take firm action. He called Compassionate Crusaders' Trust, the group that just about anyone with an animal problem calls in Kolkatta.
Three of their staff rushed to the scene and arrived within fifteen minutes, armed with a net and a lasso! By this time the most popular TV news station in Kolkatta, StarAnanda, had been alerted, and they were on the scene too capturing the event on live TV! Sundari was a star! Her escapade was also covered in the Times of India the next day.
No one had told Sundari that she was being rescued, so she barked and growled ferociously at her three well-intentioned rescuers.
A moment of quickness!
Eventually, one of the three, Nilendu Paul, was able to grab hold of her, as she scooted by him. She decided to trust him and stop resisting, and he was able to lead her out of the metro station.
Off they went to the site right nearby that Compassionate Crusaders now manages. It used to be a municipal pound until Compassionate Crusaders took it over in 1996 and turned it into a no-kill facility. This is only one of their five centers in Kolkatta, but it was right next to the metro station so it was Sundari's first stop after her rescue.
Sundari was soon transferred to another of their centers: Karuna Kunj, where she is now--a big shelter with large open yards, where the dogs and cats can roam freely--with no cages! Countless dogs and cats have been cared for there--exchanging an uncertain life on the streets where they had fallen into difficulties for a secure life in happy surroundings--where they are spayed/neutered, and any injuries or skin conditions can be given time to heal. There they either find a home or will have permanent shelter.
Though as a street dog, she's still shy of humans, Sundari is adjusting beautifully to life with her new dog friends!
Nilendu Paul, the one who Sundari finally allowed to catch her, expressed his relief that she is safe, "The third rail is electrified. Thank God she could be caught before she touched it."
All the trains, which normally run eight minutes apart along those tracks, stayed ground to a halt for half an hour, as the attention of everyone close to the scene was fixed on the unfolding rescue of the little dog.
Debasis Chakrabarti, Founder of Compassionate Crusader's Trust mentioned his hope that the metro officials will be a bit more vigilant in the future, since dogs on the tracks are a danger for themselves and also for the train passengers.
Congratulations Sundari! May you have a safe rest of your life!
What you can do
To read more about Compassionate Crusader's Trust, please go to
http://www.animalcrusaders.org
Photo: Compassionate Crusaders Trust / Sundari at Karuna Kunj