NGO gives strays in Navi Mumbai a new band of life

Dogs get reflective bands in Kharghar

A Navi Mumbai-based NGO is helping prevent stray dogs from coming under the wheels of speeding vehicles at night by fitting them with reflective collar bands so that they can be spotted in the dark. Stray dogs in various Navi Mumbai areas are fitted with the band during fortnightly drives. So far, 110 strays in the city have got the bands and more are being covered.

A dog with a reflective band in Belapur

The Create Together Foundation, founded by Deepak Vishwakarma in 2014, calls the initiative 'Pawsibilities'. The foundation came up with the idea after noticing a high number of hit-and-run cases.

"On average, we get four to five calls per month of dogs getting hit by vehicles. We realised that the reason is speeding vehicles and poorly lit roads. We can't do anything about speeding vehicles or bad lighting but we can make the strays visible," said Vishwakarma.

The NGO's first drive was in mid-November and the next on December 13. "So far, we have covered Kharghar, Nerul, Kalamboli and Belapur. We regularly check the dogs' habitat and keep a count to give them bands," said volunteer Pravin Yadav.

The NGO raises funds for the bands via crowdfunding. "We urge people to donate money or bands. We are already seeing the effect of the bands as no dog wearing it has yet met with an accident," said Vishwakarma. "Our aim is to cover every stray dog in Navi Mumbai," he added.

Keep scrolling to read more news

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news