: This Hero Turned His Auto Into an Ambulance For Injured Animals #IndiaNEWS #Chennai Last week, I came across a sick puppy outside my home in Chennai. She was wailing in pain and unable to move.

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This Hero Turned His Auto Into an Ambulance For Injured Animals #IndiaNEWS #Chennai
Last week, I came across a sick puppy outside my home in Chennai. She was wailing in pain and unable to move. Her condition was such that when I put out water and milk for her to drink, she couldn’t even raise her head. A few minutes later, she started experiencing seizures. Almost immediately, I dialled animal rescue shelters across the city.
But it was a Sunday, so I received no response from most shelters. However, one directed me towards a man named N Baskar, an autorickshaw driver.
After I dialled Baskar’s number, he arrived at the spot within a few hours. And so the little puppy found a way to reach a vet.
In the last three years, several like me have dialled distress calls to Baskar. The 42-year-old, a resident of Mandaveli in Chennai, has been rescuing injured dogs, cats, and sometimes birds across the city.
Baskar N, the autorickshaw driver who rescues stray animals.
“I have been an auto driver for the last six years, but in 2018, I converted the vehicle into an ambulance for injured strays, who are otherwise denied help from cabs and other rickshaws in the city,� Baskar tells The Better India.
An animal’s best friend
Before 2018, apart from being an auto driver, Baskar used to work as an on-call car driver to earn additional income. This led him to meet Vinodhini and Manjula Ganesh, Chennai-based volunteers who feed stray dogs regularly.
“Every evening, one of them would need a driver to take them from one area to another to feed stray dogs. Inspired by this, I started feeding 75 dogs in my area. I would set aside some money every week from my income to purchase rice and meat. My wife, who works as a cook, would prepare the food and I would distribute it across various streets surrounding my home,� says Baskar.
Baskar feeding stray animals.
One day, Vinodhini received a distress call from one of her friends about a dog who was hit by a vehicle. But cabs and autos refused to help, because the dog was bleeding. So Vinodhini asked Baskar for help.
“Without thinking twice, I left from my auto stand and went to pick up the injured dog, who was given timely help and rescued,� says Baskar, adding that this led to more calls from rescue volunteers who needed transportation for injured animals.
However, at that time, Baskar was driving a rented auto, and his owner was against him taking injured animals in the vehicle.
“I gave the auto back to him and decided to purchase my own. Seeing an injured puppy being denied help ignited a spark in me, and I wanted to dedicate my life to helping these voiceless beings. So, I applied for financial assistance to purchase an auto. I received only partial assistance, and invested Rs 40,000 from my savings and by borrowing money from some friends,� says Bhaskar.

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