Meet your new furry friend

Waking up to a woof or meow, and the adorable face of your new pet is probably the best way to begin the New Year. With the Asia’s largest stray adoption camp setting up in your neighbourhood, you could find your furry friend forever right here.

 Now in its eighth year since inception, the adoption camp is going strong as ever. Talking about the reason behind such an enterprise, Taronish Bulsara, co-founder, World for All says, “We realised that while at that time there were a lot of centres and hospitals doing medical services for animals, there was no formal platform for adopting an Indian breed. That’s how we came up with the idea of World for All. That is also why we decided that we should host a large camp like this, where not only do many animals get adopted, but it also raises awareness about the lovely Indian breeds of dogs and cats.”

With more than 180 healthy cats and dogs up for adoption, one of them will surely steal your heart. Talking about the rescue process, Taronish says, “We rescue animals off the street. These are street animals but they are not just picked up and given to people. They are put into foster homes, groomed, vaccinated, made sure they are healthy, given basic training and only then do we put them up for adoption.” Although the event is organised by World for All, it’s also a platform for other rescuers to pre-register and put their rescued animal up for adoption.

 It’s a one-stop adoption camp and has more than just pups and kittens. There you’ll find a playpen for pups to interact with kids and lots of fun stalls of animal accessories to spoil the newest member of your family with.

 The bright jumpy puppies and the playful feisty cats will surely grab your attention, but do keep a look out or the shy ones or the older ones - they have been looking for a forever home the longest.

Talking about adopting an older or paralysed dog, Taronish says, “We have a dog in office called Polo, who was paralysed because he was hit by a car and couldn’t walk or move by himself. We worked very hard to bring him back on his feet. Within two months he was walking and he is doing very well now. These are the animals who don’t find homes soon, especially if they are old.”

Adopting a dog or a cat is fun process that comes with some guidelines, and Taronish explains the adoption process. “Adoption is done under a lot of guidance, supervision and a stringent process. After the two families speak and are happy with each other, they can come to the adoption panel, which will take a detailed interview and give them suggestions. Things like what happens when you go out of town, what kind of diet, the recommended vets in the area and so on and so forth,” she says. There will also be a veterinary and a behaviourist on hand to explain basic puppy training to the adopters. Since a dog or a cat will be an addition to your existing family, Taronish advises all of them to be present at the camp.

 A one of its kind event, the Adoptathon is supported by quite a few animal lovers from Bollywood including Farah Khan, Soha Ali Khan, Kunal Kemmu, Anushka Manchanda, Shraddha Kapoor and many more who are going to drop by to share their love with the furry beings.

 Alia Bhatt’s Coexist, an ecological and animal welfare initiative will be supporting Adoptathon 2018. Speaking about it Alia says, “Indies provide us with the same amount of love and loyalty as any other breed. However, because of the many misconceptions surrounding them, they’re often overlooked by potential adopters. As awareness partner for Adoptathon, we hope to change attitudes and help each of these 180 rescues find caring, forever homes.”

Even if you’re not yet ready to adopt one of your own, worry not, you’re still welcome. “The Adoptathon is not only for those who want to adopt, but for every animal lover who wants to support the cause can come in. In fact, it’s even good for those who are not so good with animals to make friends with them,” adds Taronish.