These campus dogs...

A couple of photos I had taken of the campus dogs at OP Jindal Global University during my teaching stint there in 2022-23. One of the first things I noticed whenever I went there was the attachment that many of the students had to the dogs, and the early lessons in compassion and responsibility they were getting (particularly important in my view for this demographic of privileged young people) in the process of looking after animals, or getting vaccinations and sterilisations done. (Or even - in the case of those who didn’t like the animals - learning to share their spaces with things that made them uncomfortable, an equally important lesson in some contexts.) For me personally, one of the first times that Jindal felt like a warm, welcoming place was when I saw a couple of students (assisted by a teacher) rushing an unwell dog up the stairs to a room where it could be medicated.

During my time there, I also had a few chats with students who were dealing with anxiety issues, along a spectrum from general everyday deadline stress to pronounced bouts of depression. Completely understandable if you’re an undergrad living and studying in a high-achievers’ environment like this (or just a sensitive young person, period). So I haven’t been surprised at all to see some of the recent messages - on Instagram and elsewhere - from current students, talking about how the dogs’ presence has a calming and focusing effect on them. (For those of us who know what it’s like to form powerful inter-species bonds, this sort of thing is a no-brainer anyway.)

Amidst the recent instances of animal-care groups in educational institutions sending out official letters asking for their (sterilised, vaccinated) campus dogs not to be taken away, it has been very distressing to read about the stance of the Jindal University administration, refusing to speak with protesting students on this issue. As always, one hopes that some common sense and compassion prevails. But for the situation to come to this, that too with a harsh winter approaching and with the real possibility that docile and well-integrated dogs may be dumped just about anywhere around Sonipat/Haryana with no accountability or tracking… this is horrendous if you have any idea about the potential suffering involved. 

 

Anyone who has suggestions - or better yet, concrete help to offer in terms of boarding or fostering possibilities for the more vulnerable JGU dogs - please get in touch and I’ll pass the word on…