300+ street dogs fed every day.

Chitralekha, June 2025 — English translation

The search for Rani went on for 12 days. Finally, a call came from the sarpanch of Vanasola village — Rani was there. Vaacha reached immediately. Rani was very ill and had gone hungry for many days. After treatment, she slowly recovered.

Another case worth knowing: it was the night of Shivratri, and Vaacha was returning home after the maha-aarti when she noticed a dog on the road. She gave it food — but the moment it ate, it began gasping for breath. Vaacha recognised the signs of DH (diaphragmatic hernia), a condition that makes breathing difficult and can turn fatal without timely surgery. She had already lost two dogs to DH before. She took the dog to the hospital, where its surgery lasted six hours. The doctor said the dog would need care for about two months until she fully recovered. Keeping a dog at home was not really allowed — but Vaacha persuaded her parents and kept her there. Her name is Marvel. Today she is the darling of the whole house, and now even Vaacha's parents have joined in caring for the dogs. Her sister Nishtha is a physiotherapist and helps exercise the dogs.

The story of Saath is a touching one too. Born in 2019, she had received all her vaccinations and sterilisation. Then Saath fell ill and began losing weight. An examination at the Jivdaya Charitable Trust revealed diaphragmatic hernia (DH). She was taken to Junagadh for treatment, but surgery was not possible — Saath could not be saved. More such cases followed. A female dog gave birth to five pups and was also found to have DH; she died on the operation table itself. Vaachaben raised all five pups herself. Today they are completely healthy, and Vaacha goes to feed them every day.

Since COVID, keeping dogs, cats or birds at home has become more common. Vaachaben believes that instead of buying an expensive — especially foreign-breed — dog, adopting a street dog is far better. Indian Indie dogs are easy to keep, their food is readily available here, and they are perfectly suited to our climate — and a dog off the streets gets a good home.

In Ahmedabad today, radium collars are being fitted on street dogs to protect them from night-time road accidents. Madhurya Trivedi's 'Monstrels of Ahmedabad' group runs such a drive every two to three months, and Vaachaben takes part. Her goal for the coming years is to build a proper healthcare system for dogs in Ahmedabad — a dog once died for want of a ventilator, and since then she has wished for a dialysis centre, ventilators and physiotherapy services for dogs. She also wants to start a special van service that goes around feeding street dogs, so that no dog ever goes hungry.

Translated from the Gujarati original. The first image above is the foundation's Instagram post announcing this feature; the article text on the second page is translated here in full. Figures are as printed in the original 2025 article.

"A compassionate animal lover feeding street dogs for 10 years without missing a single day" — English translation

Vaacha Shah of the Satellite area does this work at her own expense; she has named 208 dogs based on their traits.

Vaacha Shah, 31, who lives in the Satellite area, has a special affection for dogs. For the last 10 years she has been looking after street dogs in various ways.

About this, Vaacha Shah says: "Today most people adopt dogs of good breeds, but hardly anyone works to help the dogs wandering the roads. My parents too fed all the street dogs of our area every day, so it can be said I inherited this work. In the beginning, when I went out, if any street dog came to me I would give it food, and if there were pups in my society I looked after them until they grew up. And if any dog on the road was injured, I treated it."

"For 10 years I have been giving food twice a day to the 208 street dogs living in the areas around me. I have named them according to their personalities, and when I call them by name, they come to me from wherever they are. I have also put collars on them carrying their names, their vaccination details, and which area they belong to. In the beginning, when I went to feed a street dog, I often had arguments with the families living there about not feeding the dog there. I always carry a first-aid kit with me — if a dog is injured I give first aid myself, and if it is seriously hurt I used to bring it home for treatment. Now I have set aside a separate place dedicated to treating injured dogs, where I treat them and look after them until they are fully recovered. Currently I have around 10 street dogs in my care, many of whom later go on to live with a family."

Named Romeo, Rider and Brave for their personalities. Vaacha Shah has named every dog she feeds according to its personality — and the personality she hopes to bring out in it. One dog cries a lot, so he is Rotu (crybaby); there are Power, Goofy, two dog brothers Tata-Birla, Cartoon, Pari, Handsome, three siblings Chand-Suraj-Tara (Moon-Sun-Star) and their mother Ambar (sky), twin sisters Sona-Rupa (Gold-Silver), Don, Gogo, Romeo, Laila, Juliet, Jugnu (firefly), Jadu (magic), Rider and Brave — all of whom come running at a single call of their names.

"You are Jain and you feed non-veg to others — aren't you ashamed?" many have said: Vaacha. "During lockdown I was home, and my mother and I made khichdi, milk-roti and rice at home and I fed them. But afterwards I couldn't manage everything alongside my job, so I started bringing ready 20 kg Pedigree packets, which last a month and a half. Ever since I started giving the dogs ready-made dog food — and eggs to those on medication — many people have told me: you are Jain and you feed non-veg to others, aren't you ashamed? But I am a doctor, and I know a dog needs nutrition and must be given it. I am Jain and pure vegetarian, but I don't feel I am wrong in any way in feeding them non-veg."

Vaacha sets aside a ₹35,000 budget every month for the dogs. Vaacha goes on her Activa carrying paneer (to hide the daily medicines of the dogs that need them), 20 kg of Pedigree, 5 litres of milk and about 20 eggs, feeding at different spots. Some dogs have thyroid, some are heart patients — she buys medicines worth more than ₹6,000 every month for them. In all, Vaacha allocates ₹35,000 every month for the dogs, feeding 200 dogs morning and night from the Satellite area to Karnavati Club.

Translated from the Gujarati original. Figures (208 dogs, 200 dogs on the route, ₹35,000/month) are as printed in the original 2025 article.