Dogs Can’t Speak, Be Their Voice: Chandani Grover

Chandani Grover is one of those people who just inspire you and show you that there is nothing which can stop you from following your passion. When most teenagers are busy in their life, here is one such girl who has shown the world what loving dogs and caring about them looks like.

Having always being a dog lover, the idea for starting a shelter home to house dogs started with an incident. She tells us about the incident:

“It all started when I saw a pup run over by a van. At that point I was feeding few pups. Seeing one of them lying helpless like that broke me. I went home deeply sad. It was a terrible sight to see. A pup shrieking, with blood all over. That image is still there in my mind.

“It all started when I saw a pup run over by a van. At that point I was feeding few pups. Seeing one of them lying helpless like that broke me."

My first reaction was – What on Earth in happening. This is the reason why we have majorly pups at the shelter home. Because dogs can protect themselves, pups can’t.”

Chandani Grover is a Class 9 student of the Sanskaar Valley School in Bhopal. This dog lover is “currently feeding over 60-70 dogs on a daily basis” and has shown what it means to give back to society with all your heart. She spoke about how her passion for this found a way, amidst school and studies.

“It turns out to that all you need to do is wake up an hour early, or sleep a little earlier. I just had to navigate my way through this, this is my passion. I had to strike a balance between school and this. Willpower is what has helped me throughout. This has become a lifestyle for me.”

At home playing with her pups. Pic credit: Chandani Grover

Challenges that she faced:

“Where I grew up, people were really attached to dogs and were animal lovers. I would not call it a challenge, but the most difficult part was spreading awareness. To just get the community to be kinder. To help people understand that they (dogs) also have a life.”

The idea she was conveying was rather simple. That dogs also have a life, and you have to respect it. You just have to be kind to dogs, or any animal for that matter. Her current goal is to spread awareness regarding the same.

Suffering from asthma, at some point her parents were a little sceptical initially. But as time progressed, the asthma reduced and the attacks became less frequent. She would also get rashes, but they too toned down.

The idea she was conveying was rather simple. That dogs also have a life, and you have to respect it. You just have to be kind to dogs, or any animal for that matter.

Roles that everyone played:

Once a week her vet comes home and to the shelter home and checks the pups for free. Dr Anil Sharma knew about her love for animals. “Once my dog had fallen ill, and every day I would go with it to the vet, so he knew how close animals were to me.”

Her family is very supportive, her parents always have her back and so this was possible. They knew how much this initiative meant to her. This entire initiative has helped her bond with her friends. In fact a lot of her friends are volunteers. Simple acts like leaving food outside their homes so that dogs can eat makes a difference.

About funding:

“The primary funds were provided by my father. After that, people started donating. I have a Facebook and an Instagram page; people came in from there to help raise funds.” After my family and friends contributed people from outside started helping. We currently have 500 followers on Facebook,” she said.

Future plans:

Chandani Grover wants to be able to be able to feed as many dogs as possible. Accommodating around 200 dogs at the shelter can be difficult, therefore, by increasing allocation she wants to feed as many as dogs as possible. Her plans include getting a van and spreading awareness.

The Shelter home. Pic credit: Chandani Grover

When asked what she would like to convey to the world, here is what Chandani said:

“It is very important that people understand that dogs are also living creatures, you cannot be bad to them. There is rarely a place to shelter or keep dogs. If you want to do something, you should believe in yourself. Even if you feed 5 dogs, it will make a difference. Dogs can’t speak, be their voice. I just want to tell everyone to be good to them.

She had gotten her first dog at the age of seven years, and currently houses three rescue pups. However, she spends time with many of the dogs at the shelter home and hopes to be able to continue doing this. This teen is very inspiring and has been able to share her love for dogs with many. Chandani Grover is one of those people who want to make a difference so as to make an impact.

Read also - Each One Feed One: A Charity on Wheels

Kavya Shah is an intern at SheThePeople.Tv