Mangaluru: Policemen may be tough-looking, but they too have a tender heart. In a show of humanity, a police officer posted in Mangaluru has been shelling out a sizeable portion of his salary in feeding more than two dozen stray dogs for the last 14 years. What's more? Both he and his wife cook only non-veg food for the 27 dogs twice a day.
Sub-Inspector Poovappa K with the City Arms Reserve (CAR) police, Mangaluru, spends no less than Rs 15,000 every month in procuring groceries and meat for the dogs. He and his wife Ragini cook food twice at their house in police quarters and feed the dogs, who eagerly wait for them in the morning and evening.
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Poovappa says as he doesn't have children, and therefore the couple seek happiness from feeding these stray dogs, whom they consider their own pets. But their responsibility doesn't end there: In case any of 27 strays are found to be unwell, they pay special attention to it.
Poovappa, who joined the police department 32 years ago, says he was pained by the sight of the strays desperately looking for food by the roadside many years ago. This triggered him to take up the cause and since then, he says he hasn't missed feeding the dogs even a single day.
"I require more than a quintal of rice grains every month to feed these pets. A kilogram of rice grain costs me Rs 20 at the ration shop. In addition, they are fed two dozen biscuits every day," Poovappa says, adding he has not received any external monetary help to date. On days the police department requires him to put in extra hours of work, his colleagues help him arrange the food.
