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PUNE: Animal lovers across the city have come together to form the Pune Animal Rights Initiative,’ PARI, in short, to work towards the betterment

of animals in the city. A people driven initiative, PARI is supported by various organisations and lay citizens who love animals. The initiative will be launched on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Friday, and will be headed by animal welfare officer Manoj Oswal.

“While the city has grown multi-fold over the last two decades, facilities available for treating stray animals have remained the same. All animal shelter in the city are full. NGOs working for animal welfare are really over-stretched and are looking forward to see a modern hospital working with them,” said Oswal. Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, he added, “Gandhi had once said that greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way the animals of that country are treated. We are trying to do something for the animals in the city.”

Having worked for animals for the past 14 years, he said he is doing just about everything on his own; but the need for a hospital is becoming acute by the day. “I’m just an anchor of the project. It will eventually be run by all the members organisations and individuals together,” said Oswal.

While Animal Rights Fund, Bangalore, is the mentor for the hospital project, it is being formally supported by People for Animals, PAWS and The Blue Cross Society of India. The team is headed by Oswal, an animal welfare officer from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), and Supriya Bose, who managed the Bombay Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for over a decade. The veterinary team will work under the guidance of Sheila D’wan, a British veterinarian working for animals in India for the last 20 years.

“The hospital will have scientific animal enclosures, x-ray equipment, sonography machines, modern operation theatres and so on. Also, two ambulances shall be put into service catering to both, small and large animals,” said Oswal. The proposed hospital will be set up in Kondhwa and an organisation has promised to sponsor the medical equipment, Oswal added.

“There will be separate wings for law enforcement, veterinary camps and sensitising animal users like horse, donkey and cattle owners. We will focus on raising funds in the next four months. We expect the hospital to be ready by Mahavir Jayanti in 2010,” Oswal said.