Noida: In Noida’s Sector 93-A, the sky is a clear sheet of blue, no longer marred by the Supertech Twin towers that were demolished on 28 August. But for the stray dogs in the area, it’s business as usual. They’re now back ‘home’ safe and sound after they were evacuated for a few days before the towers were brought down.
Due to the quick thinking of 18-year-old Saniya Verma, more than 45 stray animals were rescued before the massive demolition took place. She mobilised animal activists and organisations into action and recorded the evacuation process.
While dramatic videos of the Supertech Twin towers tumbling like a pack of cards in a cloud of dust went viral across social media, another video was also making the rounds on Instagram. This one was filled with the four-legged residents of the area — Noida’s stray dogs. Verma’s rescue operation grabbed the attention of animal lovers across India. Her video clips, which she uploaded on her Instagram handle called Strong little paws, have gotten over 12 million views and roughly 783,000 likes.
“Every dog has its own story, just like every human being. With every dog I’ve rescued, I’ve learnt something new,” says Verma.
The dogs show no sign of trauma. On a usual sunny afternoon in Sector-93, they can be seen taking shelter under cars and seeking relief in the shadows thrown by surrounding buildings and trees.
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Preparing in advance
The Supertech towers’ demolition was first scheduled for April this year, and when Saniya Verma heard of the news, the first thing she thought of was her family of stray dogs living in her sector. She began working on an elaborate plan — from finding a shelter for the dogs where she could board them to looking for volunteers to help rescue the animals. She often refers to the dogs as her “kids” and “babies”.
“I had been taking care of these dogs for over two years. Of course, I had to protect them when the demolition was announced,” says Verma. She reached out to a fellow animal activist in Noida named Pooja Sethi who, in turn, connected her to various animal rights NGOs. “She also helped me coordinate better in the entire operation,” says Verma. Although the demolition got postponed to August, Verma was prepared.
“I believe it’s the best thing for the community when younger generations get involved in animal rescue work. When Saniya told me about her idea, I immediately connected her with Friendicoes SECA and Parwaah Foundation who I’ve been working with over the years,” says Sethi, 40, an animal activist in Noida.
Ten days before the demolition was scheduled, Verma reached out to numerous rescue groups and volunteers, including Friendicoes SECA, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Veda House (run by Sayyad Saif Ahmed and Dipali Pandey) as well as Kamna Gupta and Nishant Muralidharan who together run an initiative ‘Apawfive’. All responded to the clarion call.
Verma had planned the operation with the precision of an army general.
“On the first day (25 August) when around 10 to 12 volunteers showed up, I was so relieved. They literally halved all the work that needed to be done,” adds Verma.
Over the course of three days between 25 to 27 August, Verma, along with 10 to 15 volunteers, rescued 45 dogs. Volunteers got hold of the animals and then photographed the areas they were rescued from to ensure that the dogs were not relocated by accident after the demolition.
“Dogs are very territorial animals. Hence, it was very important that we returned them exactly where they were picked up from. With every stray we rescued, we took a video of their surroundings along with a detailed description of the dog to guarantee that they are returned safely to their homes,” says Kamna Gupta, co-founder of Apawfive.
All the dogs were housed at the dog shelter Veda House, barely 10 minutes away from the towers. Verma had initially planned to bear the financial cost of the evacuation process. When Veda House offered to house all the animals for free, she breathed a sigh of relief.
“This was a huge help in the mission. Keeping them in other government dog shelters would mean that I would have to keep my healthy dogs in unhygienic conditions, often with other sick dogs that could be potentially harmful to them,” adds the animal rescuer.
Friendicoes SECA also supported Verma’s mission by providing four vans as well as professional dog catchers. The SPCA under the Dhyan Foundation also sent volunteers for this operation.
Two days after the successful demolition of the Supertech Twin towers, all 45 dogs were returned to their respective areas. Not a single one was hurt or injured.
“We walked around with the dogs to ensure that they were acclimated with their surroundings. In the end, it was all worth it to see the strays healthy and happy to be back home,” says Gupta.
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Gender bias, politics is a thorn on the side
Saniya Verma, who wishes to pursue English and psychology in her higher studies, has been caring for the dogs in Sector 93 over the past two years since the start of the pandemic. While she hopes to one day open her own care home for old and blind dogs, she’s also practical about the numerous challenges that one faces in the animal welfare community.
“Being a young woman in the animal welfare community is extremely difficult. From facing harassment in the neighbourhood to dealing with inappropriate comments from sleazy men and the lack of support from within the community, it often feels impossible to continue doing the work and fighting for the cause. There’s a very evident gender bias in the animal welfare community,” said Verma.
This gender bias also impacted the rescue operation. “I was not given permission to check for dogs and cats that may be hiding inside the tower despite waiting for five hours at the Noida authorities’ office. They cited safety concerns. However, the very next day, a 50-year-old animal rescuer Sanjay Mohapatra was allowed to go inside the buildings and take videos while rescuing animals. Officials often only take men seriously when it comes to animal welfare,” laments Verma.
She’s also navigating the politics within the animal welfare community. “There are many who only want the limelight without doing any of the work. I’ve always asked Saniya to focus on the work. Ultimately, people might not know our names, but they definitely recognise our work for the voiceless,” said Pooja Sethi.
Despite these hurdles, Verma has established herself as a recognised animal rescuer in the area. “While I’ve had to fight with many people, from family members to authorities and neighbours, I’m now in a position when they don’t question me and instead respect me for my efforts,” says Verma.
Her extended family of dogs isn’t complaining either.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)