A family that loves pets stays together

It is safe to say that a kitchen which cooks 40kg chicken and 20kg daliya (broken wheat) every day is not ordinary. And the home that houses this kitchen isn’t normal either. Exuding exeptional love and woofs, Gulshan Mahal, is home to more than 100 dogs and cats, all rescued by Padmini Stump and Dr Ravindra Kasbekar.

But come Sunday some of them will find themselves adjusting to new parents and homes. Animal lovers and activists Stump and Kasbekar are organising an adoption camp on August 11.

Stump and Kasbekar are not your average dog lovers, their love for animals defines them. A grandmother (you will hardly believe that when you meet her) Stump has family in Dubai, and she shuttles between Pune and UAE, while Kasbekar is a well known cancer specialist. Together the two rescue, medically treat, vaccinate and foster animals, which now have a strength of 110.

And it goes without saying that taking care of so many dogs and cats is an expensive affair. A fair estimate puts it at a little over Rs1 lakh. When asked if that is what prompted the camp, Stump says, “The reason is to give them loving homes, apart from awareness.”

Family friends for a long time, Stump and Kasbekar collaborated to rescue and help animals in the city when, four years ago, she lost her 28-year-old son in an accident. “After that I tried everything from praying to satsang, but nothing brought me peace. Helping these animals is worship to me, and gives me solace that if I couldn’t save my son’s life at least I can save theirs,” says Stump whose rescued dogs have found parents in celebs like Nana Patekar.

Over the past four years Stump has rescued and fostered many dogs and cats in and around the city. She has some gory stories – a dog with broken back, one with a ear blown off by a firecracker, some blinded by lack of care, some whose eyes have been gouged, some with legs run over by a car. But the care they received at Gulshan Mahal made sure they survived and lived a happier life. Stump aims at similar loving houses for the dogs and cats from the adoption camp. But she has to fight the ‘stray’ tag that people shy away from. “People are very brand conscious and want only pedigree dogs. Then what will happen to our local breeds? They are more hardy and loving than the fancy ones,” she explains. And it is visible – Pyaari, a female dog with a badly broken back was advised euthanasia by the veterinarian. Stump decided against it, and despite the injury permanently damaging the backbone, Pyaari is happy and healthy today.

Camp details
The adoption camp is organised at Gulshan Mahal, near Ruhidas Garden, Guru Nanak Nagar, off Shankar Sheth Road, between 10 am and 4 pm.