They wag their tails & he reads their minds! Veterinary Doctor Arun Aher!

Dr. Arun Aher ,Dr. Aher’s Pet Care Center

Love is displayed in many ways! No one knows that better than experienced Veterinary Doctor, Dr Arun Sitaram Aher! His patients do shake hands…with their paws and given half a chance, would love to wag their tails if not go wuf-wuf and meow in appreciation!

Born into a family of land-owning, cattle-rearing farmers, love for animals and being with them practically 24 x 7, came naturally to Dr Arun. Being a good student just added and he went on to do his veterinary science from Nagpur where too he remained a distinction holder coming 2nd in his class. He completed his internship at the American Embassy’s veterinary wing in the year 2000 and came back to Pune to serve the Blue Cross, a worldwide protocol program for animal birth-control and in 2002, commenced his own clinic located very close to his residence on Sus Road where he stays with his family consisting of his wife and two children, twins Vishwaraj and Aparajita who like him, love animals, more so Aparajita.

In his clinical practice of nearly two decades, he has handled close to 80000 cases of which close to 30000 were dogs and about 10000 cats operated upon specifically for sterilization. He had a short stint with the National Institute of Virology and these day his main activity is general vaccinations and deworming for dogs besides sterilization which he wants to continue.

On what drives him to take up the cause of those most in society either shun or stay away from, besides of course, throwing stones and otherwise hurting, he says “I do it because I want to give comfort and hope to an important element of this ecosystem which we share with others. If they can’t live the way they ought to, it shows badly on us humans and is also degrading to the environment around us”. Yes, when animals like dogs and cats are made to disappear, it’s only a question of time before an unwanted specie would fill the void which we may find difficult to dislodge later. It’s thus essential that humans take care of other species simply by observing given that they don’t express otherwise but have needs all the same. Getting paid for their service he says, is secondary. What remains primary is that the animal should not undergo discomfort and pain.

His recipe for healthy animals, be it strays on the streets or pedigree ones at home is wholesome, nutritious food and proper, timely preventive care. Food, as per the Doctor, is the best medicine sure to cure all ills and bodily needs of most animals. To that extent efficacy of food may be higher than medicines. Besides food, the Doctor recommends preventive medication at the right time. Together, it’s said to do wonders to any animal anywhere in the world!

Dr Arun remains an eternal optimist in that he sees people ready to keep strays as pets and look after them with complete care and caution. Some even remember details like names and ages, the place they came from, conditions in which they were brought, their problems till date, medicines and vaccination dates etc almost like their own children!

A Philanthropist at heart, he remains a regular at Mother Theresa’s and an old-age home helping destitute as also the mentally challenged. A regular blood donor, he also helps organize such camps. Of special interest are school children from poor families for whom he has arranged for school stationaries so that they retain interest in education. He plans to ramp this up to over a thousand recipients with assistance from other donors. His next initiative is to provide durable footwear to such children and wants to create the right ecosystem for people to contribute to worthwhile causes on a regular basis. He feels a child’s interest in education is increased where he/ she knows that there is something being given at the school at the end of the day.

To fulfil his dreams of a world where animals are treated well and remain healthy, he plans to start a chain of clinics all over Pune such that a minimum of 800 animals be treated every month. The first such clinic would come up shortly in Baner. As far as dreams go, his ideal facility ought to be open 24 x 7 with its own dedicated swimming pool, play and walk areas etc. That, may take some time but Baner is certainly taking shape.

With a part of one’s dreams coming tru, the question that comes us is of funding. He has been approached by various bodies on a cursory level and he is still open to work with those who have money AND a love for animals!

In the animal and nature loving culture of Pune, Dr Arun is a known name with the likes of Corporators, Commissioners of the PMC & Police, Army Personnel, Collectors, Industrialists and Actors calling on him when their pet are unwell. Actor Ritesh Deshmukh remains a regular. So too ex Commissioner of PMC Shri Mahesh Zagade today an IG of NSG in Delhi. Incidentally, the NSG’s Dog Squad too gets a helping hand from Dr Arun!

His work has been featured quite regularly in TOI and Animal People, a foreign vet-related journal which has published most of his cases and for which he has also been rewarded.

Passionate about animals, Dr Aher’s vision in his own words is: “We remain committed to serving pet animals so that the latter their complete lifespan healthy, happy and free of diseases”

As for his mission, he says “We intend to treat over one hundred thousand (100000 or 1 lac) pet animals with our own service network of 25 centers and in the process, create an organization with a net worth in the region of INR 300 million (30 crores) by the year 2029”

If animal welfare and social causes interest you, the Doctor is available.

petcarecentrepashan@gmail.com