I had posted earlier about animal rescue shelters in Bengaluru and the good work that they are doing with rescued animals…but what is the plight of the animals which cannot be rescued, which are not ill-treated enough to be forcibly taken away from their owners, and which are yet not treated well?

Yesterday, on my way to the Channel V recording, I saw these animals near the BTM 2nd Stage area:

I was planning on calling someone at one of the animals shelters when the owner, a “dhobi” or Istrywallah, saw me and came rushing out. He told me that the animals belonged to his family and stoutly insisted that the animals were being treated very well indeed. I protested that both the donkeys were very young to carry loads…but there was no result. “Madam, you go behind the people who stone dogs and kill birds, don’t harass us,” he said, and I had to leave it at that…he probably did have a valid point. I left the two sad-looking animals rooting around in the plastic and garbage, and walked on…who knows, probably, by comparison to others, these animals ARE being treated well…?

Urban animals…life is not pleasant for many of them, and they cannot be helped, either.