Food delivery rider loses wage to help puppy in Mumbai

Hasan Shaikh carried the injured dog in his delivery bag to a Deonar hospital. But despite all efforts the badly injured dog died on Wednesday

A zomato delivery person has once again given us a reason to celebrate our real life heroes through a heart-warming gesture. It was a regular workday for 30-year-old Hasan Shaikh, when he came across an injured dog writhing in pain outside Kurla railway station. He decided to take the canine to hospital but not a single auto-rickshaw driver or biker agreed to help him. That is when he cancelled his deliveries for the day, logged himself out of the food delivery app, put the dog in his delivery bag and rushed it to the In Defence of Animals (IDA) hospital in Deonar. However, the dog passed away while undergoing treatment at the hospital due to internal injuries.

Shaikh is a resident of Vashi Naka at Chembur. The incident occurred on December 10 around 3.30 pm. Shaikh spotted the dog outside the railway station and realised it was injured in its eyes. The canine was rolling on the ground and writhing in pain.

Speaking to mid-day, Shaikh said, "I stopped my bike and tried to help the dog but it kept rolling on the ground. I immediately called Vijay Mohanani, who runs Bombay Animal Rights NGO and he suggested that I should take the dog to IDA hospital in Deonar. None of the auto drivers and bikers I asked was willing to take the animal to hospital. I was ready to pay for travel but nobody was willing. I was helpless."

"I again called Mohanani and asked him if he could arrange for an ambulance, but he said it would take time. The dog's life was in danger and it was in a critical condition. I cancelled my deliveries for the day and went off duty. I placed the dog in my delivery bag and took it to the hospital," he added.

He further said, "Later, I went home and washed my delivery bag properly. I had no option but to take the dog in my bag because it was an emergency."

When contacted, Mohanani said, "I received a call from Shaikh about the injured dog and suggested that he take the canine to IDA hospital. He didn't wait and immediately took the dog to hospital in his delivery bag. It's a really inspiring gesture."

He further said, "To our utmost surprise the dog arrived in 20 minutes at our IDA centre. Shaikh has displayed boundless compassion and humanity. The dog was immediately given medical aid, but it died during treatment due to severe internal injuries."

Earlier Shaikh used to run a vegetable shop at Chembur and would also sell tea outside a masjid in Deonar. However, both his businesses ran into losses due to the lockdown and he joined Zomato about a month-and-a-half back.

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Time in mins it took Shaikh to reach Deonar from Kurla