48-year-old IT entrepreneur, Rakesh Shukla never had a dog growing up. “10 years ago I got my first dog and she’s the only dog that is not a rescue. I had to scramble to get the house prepared. And soon I found another pup that came running to me and I brought her to my office. Eventually I started bringing in dogs that I rescued from the streets to my office and soon I started working on a plan to create a place for them to stay,” says Rakesh. Soon enough, Rakesh decided to bring any stray or abandoned dog home and has adopted an immense number of dogs. There were protests from his wife in the beginning so he made his office a home for all these dogs. As time went on and the number grew, he bought some land in Dodballapur, outside Bengaluru, where he built a farm to shelter all his dogs. He registered an NGO “Voice of Stray Dogs” (VOSD) to rescue and rehabilitate injured and abandoned dogs.
"We don’t refuse to admit any dog. However, there are guidelines on the kind of rescues we do. We don’t take pets or healthy street dogs. Otherwise, we take in almost every kind of dog that needs help. Diseased dogs, those hit by vehicles, having maggot wounds, and those with disabilities are sheltered and treated", says Rakesh. The farm space is made in a way that the dogs can run around and take a swim whenever they want. He has employed few staff members, who are trained in veterinary aid to look out for the dogs. Today he lives along with and looks after 850+ dogs who came from all across India. Rakesh works remotely from his farm over the internet to run his IT firm in Bangalore and co-ordinates remotely with his colleagues and clients. "As long as I am available over my phone and laptop, my company can run", says Rakesh. From food to medical attention for the sick ones, Rakesh spends almost 15 lakhs every month on VOSD, out of which most of it is paid from his own pocket. Despite financial challenges, Rakesh's resolve made him stand firm on his love for dogs and he never gave up.
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