Save a Stray Feeding 3000 Strays on a Daily Basis

Vidit Sharma is the founder of Save a Stray. Save a Stray is an NGO that was launched during the lockdown. Vidit, along with his team began feeding the strays who were starving during the lockdown in Noida. Now, they feed around 3000 strays on a daily basis. Vidit was in conversation with Susparsha Gaikwad, Assistant Editor at incubees.com.

INCUBEES: Tell us about your organization?

Vidit: I would like to highlight that I along with few committed volunteers and hired people are involved in feeding stray animals since the beginning of the lockdown in Various parts of Noida. The reason we started this campaign as everyone is thinking of human beings one way or the other and most of them are able to contain their hunger, however few of them usually think of these helpless canines.

These stray animals feed themselves with the unused/ waste foods from the Restaurants, Malls, Cinema Halls, Hotels, and Societies, etc. But with coronavirus sending people into isolation and public establishments shutting down, strays are having a hard time finding food.

We started feeding 30 stray dogs and now we feed almost 3000 of them including 200 Cows which means our cost is increasing day by day which we are facing issues in arranging funds for them. The per-day cost has increased up to Rs.8000 in serving those helpless animals. Currently, we are cooking 200 KG Rice, 400 Eggs, Oat Meals, and 50 Litres of milk per day.

We are arranging/ putting water pots for dogs/ cows and other strays. We need your generous support in this pandemic situation. We do not want to break the chain. These voiceless beings need us desperately at this time as we all know that they depend on leftover foods.

INCUBEES: What makes your organization unique and different?

Vidit: We always try to avoid and try to make sure that Animal human Conflict should be very less so that Idea of Co-existence can take place.

INCUBEES: What challenges did you face while starting up?

Vidit: The main challenge is always funding because initiatives like this cannot sustain or begin with our Funds

INCUBEES: Tell us about your team and what inspires them?

Vidit: We have 3 Core members – Vidit Sharma – Founder, Keshav Sharma Who Ensures all the Logistics and food supply, Ankush Sharma Who ensures that Delivery should be smooth. Rest we have 5  more people that are working in daily Operations

Inspiration:-  So many initiatives are taken for Human wellbeing, Education, Women Empowerment however we are the First Kind of Initiative in our city for these voiceless souls, well being of these Strays Motivates them and keeps them Going.

INCUBEES: How do you manage the expenses of feeding the stray?

Vidit: This Feeding drive is Completely based on Human Charity, we keep on appealing to people for donations

INCUBEES: What are your plans for the future growth of your organization?

Vidit: We want to get into Self Sustainable model. We would be starting Cooked Food Delivery for pet dogs in our City. This will give us some boost. We are also in the process of starting a Stray Dog Treatment Centre. The Adoption Center is almost ready where we will be running an extensive adoption drive for Indian dogs.

INCUBEES: What significant changes do you foresee in near future?

Vidit: People are getting Sensitive towards animal welfare, we are also planning to run an Awareness Campaign via Social Media and Print Media. People are now accepting the fact that Animals are also integral parts of Society. They are also Now Adopting Indian Breed Dogs.