Paws for a cause SHRAVAN KRISHNAN, 25
Shravan Krishnan’s
face appeared like warm sunlight on a winter day during the week Chennai was exposed to a series of attacks on animals—filmed and published on social media for everyone to see and stomach their repugnance. He became the poster boy of hope, holding Bhadra—the pup that was flung off a terrace by a medical intern— close to his heart, assuring us she will survive.
An act of kindness
Krishnan’s purpose to provide dignity of life for animals was sowed in when he was just a child. “I grew up in a family that respected animals, and believed in coexisting with them every day,” he says. In fact, he pursues his passion like a science; a natural way of life to coexist with even the most unusual reptiles with varying levels of venomousness. “During my volunteering days with The Madras Crocodile Bank Trust & Centre for Herpetology, I would handle and feed snakes, when most visitors would be afraid or repulsed by them,” says Krishnan.A significant part of his work today is to familiarise people with snakes and teach them how to handle situations where they may come across the creatures within their living and working spaces, instead of recklessly killing them.
Creature comforts
Besides rescue operations, Krishnan also runs a shelter for strays and the country’s first Hotel for Dogs–complete with state-of-the-art facilities, in Chennai and Bangalore. “The point is, when you go on a vacation, your dog should get one too. Dogs need a lot of space to run around, move and swim. Our hotels are complete with swimming pools, soundproofed kennels, grooming parlours and 24-hour CCTV surveillance,” says Krishnan.