ANUSHA SELVAMANI
“Jacky! Jacky! Come here! Your food is here,” yelled out Mr Pradeep Kumar and his wife Santhi to a stray dog roaming around an industrial area in Singapore.
The couple make it a point every weekend to venture out to such areas across the country to feed stray dogs and cats.
Jacky is apparently their favourite stray, as it gobbles down the food they serve instantly.
Like the pair, there are other members of animal welfare group The Stray Affairs who feed stray dogs and cats every Saturday night.
On other days, migrant workers living in the area do the job.
Mr Kumar, 44, and Ms Santhi, 54, began feeding the strays when Covid-19 hit Singapore.
“Our son used to volunteer at animal shelters and, at his suggestion, we joined The Stray Affairs,” said Ms Santhi. “Now we cannot imagine a Saturday without feeding stray animals.”
More than 200 cats and dogs live in industrial areas, according to the group.
Aside from feeding the animals, migrant workers would also report any major injuries and disappearances to the volunteers.
Mr Rajamanickam Ramesh, 53, who takes care of four cats near his dormitory, said: “My boss passed them to me. I feed them regularly and make sure they stay safe.”
The volunteers meet and prepare about 80kg of food every Saturday night, including boiled meat and hard-boiled eggs.
They then split into groups and drive to 10 feeding points where the animals gather.
“The animals do not come out immediately,” said Mr Kumar. “Sometimes, we need to whistle or make funny noises to catch their attention. Sometimes, the migrant workers bring the strays outside.”
Mr Kumar and Ms Shanti feel it is important to keep the strays well-fed.
“Animals are also beings,” said Mr Kumar. “They don’t have access to regular food, so humans have to show some sympathy to them. Otherwise, they will die young.”
“We are grateful to the migrant workers who spend time and effort taking care of the strays.”
