The Hyderabadi Friends of Animals is a non-profit organization (NGO) that aims to better the condition of animals in Hyderabad and also work with the Hyderabad Zoo officials to improve the zoo facilities. By developing the Hyderabad Zoo website on a volunteer basis and as a gift to our fascinating city, we hope to bring together nature & animal loving Hyderabadis like yourself and use our collective efforts and experiences to help the zoo authorities turn our zoo into a world-class destination. Some of our near-term goals include:
▪ Continue support and development of the Hyderabad Zoo website.
▪ Facilitate private sector funding and support for the zoo.
▪ Bring together Hyderabadis and nature-lovers who care for animals and their city.
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Howdy all! I'm Masooma Rizvi, the director of the Hyderabadi Friends of Animals. As a passionate animal rights advocate, my plan is to work closely with the Hyderabad Zoo officals and help them improve the zoo facility. I am an alumni of Shadaan College and a registered pharmacist. I grew up in Hyderabad and currently live in Houston, the second best city. If you have ideas to improve the zoo, please join our efforts. |
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Wassup sab logaan! Raza Rizvi here, the technology manager for the Hyderabadi Friends of Animals. I've developed the Hyderabad Zoo website and I currently provide technical support for it. Purani Haveli (Old City, Hyderabad) is where I call home and St. Georges Grammar school and later Texas A&M University are the schools I've attended. Currently I live & work in Houston, TX. Please feel free to share your ideas on improving the zoo website. |
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Bharani Surineni ♦ Kishore Nagarigari ♦ D Raw El Payne ♦ Girish Babu ♦ Hara Krishna ♦ Kalyan Neelamraju ♦ Abdul Jaleel ♦ K.V. Rao ♦ Lakshmi Prabhala ♦ Mason Katz ♦ Maxine Brown ♦ Dominic M ♦ Mitesh Damania ♦ Raghu Peethambaran ♦ Rahul Rajan Nair ♦ Tiger Puppala ♦ Thyaga Raju P. ♦ Alex Gaylon ♦ Mahmud ulHasan ♦ Mona Mehdi |
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Lance Ramoth, technical advisor ♦ Ali Akhtar, website editor (Attorney-at-Law, TX) |
Yes We Can!
Masooma Rizvi, Director
Hyderabadi Friends of Animals
15th January, 2008
Hyderabadis are well-known for their love of animals ...that is, animals which are served on their dinner plates :-(. The grim reality is that a significant portion of our society faces challenges in acquiring even the basic necessities like adequate food, clean water, and proper shelter. Therefore it is understandable that compassion and care for animals does not rank highly on the list of priorities. Cultural superstitions and lack of education also influence our society's approach towards animals. Some even view the caring of animals as a foreign or Western trait.
Regardless of the society's condition, we can agree that ensuring the well-being of animals and their natural habitat is essential in maintaining a balanced ecosystem. Moreover, it is the moral duty of a civil society to care for those who cannot defend themselves. As Mahatma Gandhi said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." From this measure, Hyderabadis have made recent strides but can do much better. Three areas need our attention in this regard:
1. Financial Support: A number of organizations have been launched in Andhra Pradesh in recent years to protect and care for animals, like the SPCA and the Blue Cross of Hyderabad. They provide services for spaying and neutering cats and dogs to control their population. These organizations need your financial support to continue their valuable service to our society.
2. Public Education: With the arrival of satellite and cable channels, educational channels like the animal planet and discovery have reached our living rooms. We've found new heros in Steve Irwin, Jeff Corwin, and Jack Cousteau. Animals are being seen as miracles of nature and deserving of our respect than objects of fear and distraction. We can benefit from their message of conservation and try to translate it into action.
3. Personal Interaction with Animals: No television show or photograph can substitute the joy we feel when interacting with animals. Viewing animals up close or possibly touching them can melt the hardest of hearts. Well kept pets in the household can provide valuable companionship to adults and also help children be more responsible and caring.
Being compassionate to animals while caring for our fellow human beings need not be mutually exclusive endeavors. We have the capacity to do both. Providing care for animals is not only a Western responsibility or an Eastern responsibility, it is a universal responsibility, and I believe every Hyderabadi can make a difference. Yes we can! | |
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