Hi, my name is Jan and I'm helping Akanksha and her independent street dog feeding team to raise funds for ongoing costs of dog food, LPG gas cylinders, rice, chicken waste, vet clinic fees, on-spot treatment for fleas, ticks, maggot wounds and simple injuries. Her team are called "Street Paw Buddies" because that's exactly what they are and they are an independent neighbourhood rescue group.

Street Paw Buddies feed on average 250+ adult dogs and puppies every day. These numbers include solo dogs, and complete families comprising bonded couples (Mum and Dad and their offspring) often with Mum having given birth every time she comes into season and having given birth on the streets. Street Paw Buddies keeps a special look out for these Mums and get them spayed to prevent more unnecessary litters coming into the world- they also fundraise to join in organised city wide sterilisation camps run by larger organisations who will operate on both sexes for a fixed fee so long as rescue groups bring the dogs into them. Groups such as Street Paw Buddies then need to raise on average £35/$45/R 4,200 for each dog’s procedure. A small price we think to ensure that our street dog population begins to come down each year and not increase! The group also try to find a safe place for Mum to feed her babies and keep them safe , often making Bori beds from sacks filled with straw to provide warmth and softness. In colder months, their staff also build boxes and stamp out rescue group name on the outside so that passers by know who they belong to, and leave them and their precious contents alone. StreetvPaw Buddies also find older street dogs in the company of a special “best friend “, who they have grown up with on the streets and survived this hard life with. We often find they want to eat together so they both know they each have food ! Pure genuine love! They can teach the human race a thing or two❤️❤️

Street Paw Buddies are based in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, and their feeding drive focuses in the following areas -; Patel Chauraha, Shivaji Park; near Bachpan play school; near old and new Saket; at the vegetable market; Tulsi Park, Allahpur Railway line, below Bakshi Bandh; Sanjay Nagar; Tiranga Park; Graveyard areas (as dogs will go there to sleep); near new Munna Sweet House; near Amrit Sweet House; Rajat Furniture Mart; Allahpur Police Chowki; Labour Chauraha; Arthcybozone; Laki Coolers; and other adjacent 5 lanes and lastly Oxygen Gym.

As well as providing daily fresh food to their round of street dogs, Street Paw Babies neighbourhood rescue group also ensure the dogs in their remit and under their care also have access to fresh, clean water daily, by filling huge cement bowls in accessible areas every day, no matter the season or weather.

The dogs are fed twice daily, one meal is a fresh warm nutritious meal cooked in their commercial kitchen, prepared by their salaried cook, of rice, chicken, dog food and fresh eggs. It's cooked in huge Patila or cooking vessels over naked gas flame, powered by LPG Gas cylinders. Its takes over 2 hours each day to prepare and cook the street dogs dinners, and over 3 hours to deliver them all on electric scooters. So each day the feeding runs alone take 6 HOURS to complete!!!

The second meal of the day is a mixture of proprietary dog food in gravy mixed with total dry food. We feed all the dogs their meals on sheets of newspaper cut from donated days old newspaper from around the city.

Street Paw Buddies do not just provide this vital feeding service to the Indie street dogs in their city- far from it. Every time they go out to feed the dogs, they are on the lookout for any that may be injured, sick or have been abused and endeavour to get them to treatment or provide it themselves.

They are part of a local network of rescue groups who will learn of dogs in distress by local concerned citizens. Whenever they can help and intervene in such cases they respond as soon as they can and get the sick or injured dog to treatment or help.

Recently, an older female dog under their feeding drive called Pihu has become very unwell and it became obvious she could not remain on the streets. Not only did they take her to the vet clinic for immediate assessment and blood work, which then led to costly Xrays and further analysis, it was discovered this poor dog has severe Osteoarthritis and other issues requiring urgent medical attention. Pihu had to remain at the vet clinic while her condition was stabilised and was then transferred to a larger facility to continue her treatment. All of this vet care costs money, as you appreciate, and all of this has to be met purely from private donations received from urgent appeals put up on their social media accounts.

Funding is urgently required to continue Pihu's ongoing treatment. When she is not being treated at the vet clinic, she is at the home of Akanksha and her family.

The street dogs cared for by this neighbourhood rescue group are also given vaccines to protect them from the worst of disease and infections, and all of the funds have to be raised by private donations, as does the cost of the dog food and staff salaries every month.

Street Paw Buddies have a social media presence to help with this ongoing task, both on Instagram and Facebook, so please go over and take a look, read their stories, give them a like, read the stories of the feeding drives, the dogs they meet, greet and love, and are loved back in return, and please share their reels and posts to get their doggy tales to a wider audience. It's only by spreading the word of this amazing, non-stop 7 day, 24 hour work that these dogs can go on being fed and cared for far into the future.

Please be our hero and support us with a donation to keep these amazing dogs, who only want to live and be loved, and give love so freely, and live in peace and harmony.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts

Akanksha and the Street Paw Buddies Team