A Society That Gave a Dog a Home—and a Lesson to Many

Simba, a beautiful male pup, was adopted by Mantri 2 Society, Panchwati, Pashan, in 2015. On 28th December this year, Simba turned 11, and his birthday celebration was nothing short of heart-warming. What made the occasion truly special was seeing the children who once played with him as little kids—now teenagers—gathering to celebrate a dog they had grown up with.

Simba’s life reflects what an ideal world for any dog should look like. Even today, he has many homes within the society: one where he sleeps peacefully, one that ensures he is well-fed, and another that fosters him whenever needed. Several families together contribute to his well-being, proving that collective responsibility can create lasting change.

The initiative began when Mr. Gaur, Chairman of PUSSP, readily agreed to adopt Simba for the society. Over time, the children of Mantri 2 took ownership of his care, while three families—Shilpi Khandelwal, Suvarna Kadam, and Amit Raj—have consistently supported him.

Adopted through Wag-A-Bond Charitable Trust, an NGO actively working in western Pune, based at Panchwati, Simba is part of a larger effort where all dogs are sterilised, vaccinated, fed healthy meals daily, and documented in a detailed database.

If more societies followed this model, there would be no dogs on the streets. The word “stray” would disappear, replaced by a world where every dog has a home—and every home has a dog.