Animal Haven

It doesn’t have a walking track, swings and slides or pretty flower bushes to look at. But the 5,000 sq ft garden in Yari Road, once an unofficial dumping ground for locals, will finally serve a purpose. It has now been converted into a recreational ground for the area’s pets. 

The Yari Road Pet Park, which was inaugurated on Sunday, has been instantly put to good use by pet owners of the area. A joint effort of the BMC and the Ashoka Road Residents Association, the ground — soft and mucky due to rains — has grass that is still to grow and little saplings that will soon bloom into trees. For an area that has over 1,500 pet dogs, it is a great start. “There are more than seven gardens in the area, where pets are not allowed to enter,” says Meenakshi Thakur, secretary of the association. “Until the pet park came along, our dogs had only the streets to run and play. This park becomes important because it addresses the health and hygiene problems as well as safety issues,” she adds. 

The park, although a little cramped for space, does not allow you to play frisbee with your dog, but there’s enough space for pets to run around. There are two structures that have been built for pet owners to sit and relax while their four-legged companions do a bit of socialising on their own. Thakur is especially looking forward to holding workshops and events for pets. “We’re planning at least one event every month with different agendas — breeding, grooming, health and even birthdays,” she says. 

While addressing hygiene issues, the park management is making sure that pet owners scoop the animal waste and leave the park clean. For this, the association has left plastic bags and scoopers with the security and several dustbins have been set up around the park. “If owners see more of us cleaning up, and they know we’ve provided everything for them, I’m confident they will start doing it too,” says Thakur with a smile.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/animal-haven/970359/2