Located off Versova coast and accessed by roads and a ferry, Madh Island in Malad West lures tourists and nature lovers with its beautiful beaches , lush greenery and many celebrities' bungalows . Recently the ancient island added another attraction: a facility that will warm the cockles of animal lovers' hearts. This Animal Care Centre tucked away at a quiet, calm plot shelters stray dogs and cats , many of them found in distress and rescued.
Spread over 2500 sqft, the heatproof alloy-roofed facility created by the non-profit This Is Not The End (TINTE) Foundation currently shelters 30 dogs and 15 cats. It has a capacity to keep 60 strays. As we approach the high-roofed facility's secured wire mesh gate, some of the strays, including a black dog, begins barking ferociously and pulling at its leash aggressively.
"Don't get scared.They are welcoming you," smiles a caretaker even as another one cleans the floor off fresh dog poop. While the dogs are in enclosures secured by wire mesh, the cats occupy the upper deck of the two-tier enclosures.
We enquire about the man behind the facility, music composer Aashish Rego , and told he is at his office in Andheri West. At his ground floor office we meet, besides Rego, Shreya Prabhu, Sonali Padval and senior veterinary doctor Dr Kamlakar Chaudhari. While Padval and Prabhu are cradling a dog each, a cute furry cat sits on the table.
All of them share love for animals and strays and work voluntarily. Much before they created a small faci.
