mangalore today

Mangaluru woman wins hearts after rescuing dog from deep well


Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Feb 1, 2020: In a heartwarming gesture, 40-year-old Mangalore woman risked her own life and climbed down a 30ft deep well to rescue a stray dog. Animal rescuer is Rajni Damodar Shetty, a homemaker living in Doddahitlu in Mangaluru.

When a group of men at Ballalbagh in city tried for hours and failed to rescue a dog fallen into the well, Rajani was called to the spot.


Dog rescue act


According to local reports, the dog allegedly fell into the well after a fight with other street dogs and spent an entire night in the well.

“The moment I received a call, I rushed to the spot. The animal was scared. I was a bit nervous, but at the same time, I knew that I cannot allow the dog to die. I did not want to take a chance. Locals told me that I should get into the well only if I was confident, and should not risk my life,” she said. Further, Rajni explained that it is an unused well with at least 10 feet of water in it.

I tied a rope to myself, entered the well and rescued the dog,” says Rajani, who does not know swimming.

Rajni has been feeding stray dogs for almost a decade. She has been taking care of over 14 stray dogs in her home.“Every night between 12am and 2am, we feed nearly 150 dogs of the city. About 8 kg rice mixed with leftover chicken is boiled and offered to the dogs. I have also been rescuing and treating injured birds, animals and snakes at my house, before releasing them into the wild,” she said.

Ever since the video of Rajani’s dog rescue mission went viral, she says her phone has been flooded with calls.