Teen forsaken as a baby helps senior dogs find forever home - 'just like I did.' Meena Kumar has already raised $14,000 for Muttville Senior Dog Rescue through pet-sitting.
At 14 years old, Meena Kumar is already a strong believer in the importance of second chances. When she was just 9 months old, she was left in a basket on a college campus in India, and subsequently lived in an orphanage for about a year. Then her luck changed and she was adopted by a family who lived in San Jose, California.
“My parents tell me the story of when they adopted me and took me to my grandparents’ apartment in Mumbai,” she told Today. “My parents were worried about how to keep me amused in a small place. Thankfully, a dog had just had a litter of puppies, and I used to spend hours every day watching and playing with them.”
Meena love of dogs never diminished and she has now set up Pet Fairy Services which helps older dogs (who are often not wanted by owners) at the Muttville Dog Rescue Centre in San Francisco. She has succeeded in raising over $14,000 for Muttville and told Today.com: “It feels great to know that I’ve saved many dogs’ lives and given them another chance to enjoy life for their last years of living. I feel like all dogs should get a forever home just like I did.”
Meena’s mother, Jayashree Subrahmonia, is not only proud of her daughter but thankful. She herself was raised without pets and has found it’s a joy to have so many dogs visit their home, particularly during the pandemic.
“This entire journey of the love for animals in general and supporting senior dogs has been a gift to us,” she said. “I’m grateful to her for this gift that she has given us.”