SOS : helping animals

What do you do, if you see a palm-sized kitten ambling perilously on the railway tracks? Divya, an animal lover, was faced with such a situation. Having rescued the kitten, she called up Save Our Strays (SOS), an NGO in Mumbai for help. The kitten was named Frisco. But, Frisco’s fate seemed to be playing tricks all the time. Twice Frisco was adopted but due to some reasons, he was returned back to SOS. But soon Siddharth, a young student, adopted him.
A couple of days later, Siddharth called up to say, “By the way Frisco is a girl and now she is called Sydney”. Frisco or Sydney, a little kitten had got a new lease of life. What more could one ask for?
We would like to share information about another lady who has set an inspirational example. She is Shirley Advani, the Chairperson of SOS, Mumbai; the same animal shelter that helped Frisco find a loving home. There are innumerable other cases where they helped animals in distress.
Established in November 2003 by Shirley, SOS works for the welfare of animals. Even though she shows great strength and commitment in her noble cause, SOS would not have assumed the shape it has today, were it not for the volunteers who have always been the pillars of strength. SOS volunteers can be seen in the streets, tending or feeding homeless animals.
In just a short span of two years, SOS has a plethora of achievements. It provides a 24-hour helpline to the residents of the neighbouring areas so that they can report animals in distress. SOS is also equipped with an ambulance that has been successfully attending to distress calls. Today, SOS has volunteers not only in Oshiwara and Lokhandwala, Andheri, but also in many other suburbs of the city.
Shirley now aims to set up a shelter cum sterilisation centre in the western suburbs of Mumbai. She knows no exhaustion in dedicating herself and her organisation in helping those stray animals often ill-treated by our fellow beings. It just needs a little kindness and effort to save the life of a helpless animal. Shirley sets a noble example for many people who would like to stretch out a helping hand to the animal community. For more info, contact: Shirley Advani at 9820141310, 26351503.
(Details of Frisco/Sydney were given by Reena Sarah Ittyerah.)