Vibha Tomar is a 23 year old veterinary student. Around 7pm, the she drives to Janpath, India Gate, Dhaula Kuan, Chanakyapuri, Sarojini Nagar, Nauroji Nagar, Saket, Chhatarpur and some other places. On her way, she feeds monkeys and birds and after sunset she feeds the cats and dogs on the streets.
"Delhi HC's order of right to food for dogs is an achievement for us. Like us, strays also require food. Places should be decided for feeding strays so that they get food without any conflict," she said, as reported by ANI.
“Sometimes my friends accompany me in my car,” said Tomar brightly. “During the lockdown last year, I did this work all alone, but now have some volunteers to assist me”, she added.
She is a fourth year veterinary student at Arawali Veterinary College in Sikar, Rajasthan. She began to feed the street animals last year when the city was under lock down due to Covid-19. She found Oscar for Life Charitable Trust, four years ago when her dog Oscar died.
Besides food, she also takes seasonal care of the homeless animals. In the winter, she prepares beds from discarded car tyres for them. In summers, she places bowls of water for them and hopes to be able to put 1,000 bowls across the city. She also ties reflective collars on their canines so motorists can see them in the dark and avoid crushing them. Tomar uses only leaf plates for the street animals to avoid the plastic burden on the environment.
“Sometimes colony residents get angry at me,” she smiled. “And yet many of them also call to inform me about an ill dog. So I can’t say that people aren’t supportive. In fact, I have seen a change of heart in some", she added.
Her parents gifted her a dog when she was in Class II. Being the only child, Oscar was more like a sibling to her. “Oscar died of kidney failure and arthritis. I want him to be remembered, so I started the trust in his name and began with vaccinating stray dogs,” said Tomar.
“When I started posting information about my activities on Instagram, people started following me, even donated money. As a veterinary student, if I don’t use my specialised knowledge, how can I expect others to care for the animals?” Tomar currently has four adopted dogs and three rescued cats. She is also fostering a dog recovering from an injury.