Restoring faith in virtue and good deeds, Dipala Chauhan, a 65-year-old  resident of Shimla is creating a difference in a world of opportunist people, who only put themselves and their interests first.  Yet there are a few who do really care about others and their well-being, not just for their own self-interest or for their loved ones, but for those who cannot give anything in return, cannot speak for themselves and do not have privileges like most of us. The woman solely runs an animal shelter for the abandoned and tortured animals in Pujarli, a small village in the Shimla district.

“It was a freezing winter and snowy winter day when I spotted two cows, one red and the other black, standing next to a nullah which is close to my house. At my first thought, it seemed the two were grazing or lost their way. It was a shocking moment for me when, the very next day, I saw the two bovines still at the same place in the spine chilling cold. Unable to let them go again, I went towards the animals and found out something that gave me jitters. The two animals were tied to a pole with wires so tightly that they weren’t even able to lie down on the ground. Their private parts were chopped and several cut marks over their bodies spoke of the atrocities imparted on them,” said Dipala Chauhan from Himachal Pradesh.

She is the daughter of a doctor, has been diligently working to save thousands of animals for the past 28 years.

With her faith in humanity unshattered even after every hurdle she encountered as a single mother, Dipala continues to render selfless service to the voiceless and at the present day, she takes care of more than 120 animals. 

In a region where animals are killed and abused by humans to please local deities, she is one headstrong woman who has been courageously and diligently working to save thousands of animals. So far, she has rescued more than 4,000 animals in and around Shimla district.

Narrating her struggles, she says most people consider her insane, blunt, and a wanderer who has nothing to do with her life. This, she says, is the reason that no other villager has associated with her over all these years. No help was provided by the local panchayat or state government, she says, adding that her son, who has settled abroad, is the only one who supports her.

“Many a time, several villagers and outsiders came to me and promised to help but forgot with time. People consider Himachal a Devi Bhoomi, but at the same time, brutally mistreat animals once they stop serving their needs and are no more productive. Initially, the villagers set up orchards and farms for their cattle but once they are of no use, the very same people beat up the animals, amputate them and leave them unattended near a cliff to die” says Dipala while trying to stop her tears.

Recounting her humane journey, Dipala told The Statesman correspondent Aaravi that she faces countless problems while running the animal shelter. Residents of her village torched her house twice and tried to acquire her land illegally. To keep the shelter running, she had to sell off her property but now, she hasn’t been left with much.

People call themselves animal lovers despite their cruelty towards them which has remained a mass practice in parts of Himachal Pradesh. “It is unimaginable and unacceptable to me,” she stressed.  The locals are only worried about their own interests availed from the voiceless living beings. She also said, “People here pet dogs for taking care of their big apple orchards. When they get old or become incapable of guarding the farms, people just throw them away. Some even put insecticides in their eyes, amputate the animals, or just poison them to death.”

She is an animal lover who is inching towards her elderly years, she says it is very difficult for her to take care of the selfless animals all alone. Recently, a group of labourers who helped her manage the shelter also fled away and for the past eight months, she has been working on her own. 

With her spirit unshaken,Dipala dreams of giving permanent shelter to the abandoned animals. For this, she has offered her own land to the government, but no response has been received yet. Dipila is also attempting to build a trust that would work for the unattended animals even after her death.

“My animals are like my kids and cannot be left back on the streets. Therefore, I need to give them a permanent home” she emphasised.

She called for a mass and educative approach to safeguard the dying animals in every part of India. “We need to allot one subject to animal welfare in the school curriculum, and nurture the young brains towards sensitivity and compassion for animals,” she said.