Mehvash Arslan has been a resident of Cooke Town for the past 10 years or so. She works in an NGO that helps small businesses like the local tea walla, or the isthri lady.
But her involvement is unusual. She has accidentally… or deliberately… found herself rescuing older, very sick, severely disabled, even blind dogs, usually without much chance of survival. Sometimes these dogs make it and sometimes they don’t. But that doesn’t stop Mehvash from turning her world upside town to give some dog a final few happy months.
It’s a rare disposition.
This story is not only about Mehvash and her friends. It’s about communities in Bangalore that are willing to come together for a dog… to raise money, foster a dog, to hunt for a dog, to rush to the hospital… always in the middle of the night… now why is that… it’s because street dogs come out when they perceive it’s safer… that is humans are asleep… but sadly it’s also when cars whizz around at top speed.
Rescue and rehab work for dogs is like being in the arts: it’s is a passion and doesn’t come with a paycheck. She is shy to talk about her work with dogs. She doesn’t see it as unusual or even podcast-worthy. But I beg to differ.
We begin with the story of Luke. Luke is important to this podcast, because he demonstrates how a community CAN come together for a cause, and also that there are people who will willingly upturn their life for a dog they happened to find on the street.