A 48-year-old IT entrepreneur gave up his wealth to establish the largest stray dog shelter in India.
Rakesh Shukla did not own a dog growing up. However, that has not stopped him from sheltering over 800 dogs at a facility in Bangalore city.
Shukla has sold over 20 luxury cars and other assets to provide for the specially-abled dogs.
"10 years ago I got my first dog and she’s the only dog that is not a rescue," says Shukla.
Having no previous experience of raising a dog, he admitted having a tough time.
"I had to scramble to get the house prepared. And soon I found another pup that came running to me and I brought her to my office.
"Eventually, I started bringing in dogs that I rescued from the streets to my office and soon I started working on a plan to create a place for them to stay," Shukla adds.
After initial protests from his wife, Shuka converted his office into a home for all these dogs. As time went on and the number grew, he bought some land in Dodballapur, outside Bengaluru, where he built a farm to shelter all his dogs.
Soon, an NGO, “Voice of Stray Dogs” (VOSD), was formed to rescue and rehabilitate injured and abandoned dogs.
Shukla added: "We don’t refuse to admit any dog. However, there are guidelines on the kind of rescues we do. We don’t take pets or healthy street dogs,
"Otherwise, we take in almost every kind of dog that needs help. Diseased dogs, those hit by vehicles, having maggot wounds, and those with disabilities are sheltered and treated."
The facility has enough space for his dogs to run around and even take a swim whenever they want.
Shukla has also employed people with veterinary training to look after the dogs.
Today he lives along with and looks after 850+ dogs who came from all across India.
When asked, Shukla said he works remotely from his farm over the internet to run his IT firm in Bangalore and co-ordinates remotely with his colleagues and clients.
"As long as I am available over my phone and laptop, my company can run", he says.
From food to medical assistance for the sick ones, the man spends almost 1,500,000 INR (USD 21,150) every month on his NGO.
Despite several obstacles, including a threat to his life, Shukla is committed to standing firm on his love for dogs and vows to never give up.
To ensure better treatment for his dogs, Shukla is building a resident hospital with a state-of-the-art facility.
The man plans to inaugurate the new facility by 2020.
This video was filmed on September 21.
