Monday, 28 February 2022 | PNS | Dehradun
As Ukraine reels under intensifying Russian attacks and its people scramble to evacuate to save their lives, an engineering student from Uttarakhand has decided that he will not leave Ukraine without his adopted dog, Mali Boo. The real-life protagonist of this moving tale of human-animal bonding is Rishabh Kaushik, a native of Dehradun who has been in Ukraine for the last three and a half years.
Weeks before the invasion, when Russia had begun to deploy military troops to Ukraine’s border, Kaushik’s relatives living in Ukraine had anticipated a dangerous situation and had flown to Dubai for their safety. Kaushik also had a Dubai visa. But despite much coaxing from his family, the young lad refused to leave his pet dog behind and stayed put in Kharkiv knowing well that a war was underway. And now, the duo is in Kyiv where Kaushik struggles to get a permit to fly his canine companion to India. But despite having completed the required paperwork, India’s Animal Quarantine and Certification Service (AQCS), the government body that issues NOC to import pets to India, has just not been responding, alleges Kaushik.
In a telephonic conversation with this correspondent, he said, “My pet is my child. If I shall evacuate Ukraine, I shall do it only with him. I have been struggling for weeks now to get NOC permit for my dog but no one in the government is co-operating. Despite the crisis in Ukraine, I arranged and sent all the required forms, health certificates from local authorities etc. to AQCS but they have been asking me for the same documents again and again. I also spoke to an officer at Indira Gandhi International Airport but instead of helping, he abused me and hung up on me. I have had a visa for Dubai for the last three weeks but I have not gone. I shall not leave Ukraine without my pet. I urge the Indian government to please issue an NOC for my Mali Boo. Please help us.”
This corresponden’s calls to AQCS to get their response on this matter went unanswered.
Mali Boo is a rescued dog who was found on the road and adopted by Kaushik from a shelter thirteen months ago. “He had the most innocent eyes. I knew instantly that I had to take care of him. And in the last one year, he has become an inseparable part of my life,” he said.
Desperate to get assistance and feeling alone, Kaushik also posted a video on Instagram narrating his problem and requesting help. While his emotional appeal is stirring hearts on social media, Kaushik waits desperately for an NOC from the Indian government, while struggling to survive the war.
