The Hyderabad-based NGO called ‘Collarup’ has been wearing sharp fluorescent collars around the neck of the city’s stray animals, especially dogs, to protect them from injury or death from road accidents at night. NGO tags mislead dogs with a clear collar so that night drivers can identify animals from a distance and accidents can be prevented.
“Breasts are made of lightweight materials and are safe for animals. They would help people driving at night to identify animals from a distance, ”said NGO founder Chaitnya Gundluri.
The NGO was established in November last year not only to save animals from being hit by speeding vehicles, but also to prevent road accidents that occur while trying to rescue animals.
The founder of the NGO said that as a full-time businessman who spends most of his time driving, he has seen the dire situation of lost animals being hit by speeding vehicles.
“Every time I go on a road trip, I see the bodies of many animals that have been hit by speeding vehicles. This is one of the reasons why I decided to make up for lost animals, ”said Chaitanya.
One incident had a profound effect on Chaitanya’s inspiration. He said he lost his best friend in a road accident, and in order to avoid hitting a stray dog, he had an accident and died.
“The main purpose of these fluorescent glasses is not only to save stray animals from fast-moving vehicles, but also to save lives,” Chaitanya said.
“Fluorescent collars placed around stray animals, especially dogs, cattle and buffalo, will help them to be visible at night as the collar shines in the light. The collar thread is made of fluorescent material that shows when light falls on it. The driver or passenger can identify the animals from a distance and reduce the vehicle, ”he said.
On one of his trips, he met a lady and her dog had a bright LED collar attached to it and it was clearly visible from a great distance, which is when Chaitanya began researching fluorescent collars. To come up with easy-to-use and lightweight collars, Chaitanya came up with a fluorescent strap, nylon belt and a plastic handle.
According to Chaitanya, the NGO currently has more than 270 volunteers in six provinces and works in 36 different cities to rescue stray animals. At one time, he said, they were able to put on more than 200 dogs in one day.
He noted that by creating these fluorescent belts, the NGO has teamed up with a group of young women entrepreneurs from rural areas and has therefore been able to create jobs and empower women.
