In a village near Jodhpur, where tractors have replaced traditional farming methods, a heartbreaking story unfolded. Sanju, a once proud and hardworking bull, became the unluckiest of all bulls. With the advent of tractors, bulls like Sanju were no longer needed for plowing fields and so, one by one, they lost their jobs and were abandoned by the families they had served faithfully.
Left to fend for himself, Sanju wandered aimlessly with a rope still tied around his neck—a cruel reminder of his past life. Over time, this rope, never removed or tended to, began to cut into his flesh, turning into a painful wound and eventually developing into a tumor.
When we, The Dog Home Foundation learned about Sanju's punishment, we knew we had to act quickly. Our team in Jodhpur set out to rescue him, but Sanju was in so much pain that he lashed out at anyone who approached. His horns became weapons of desperation, injuring one of our team members during the rescue attempt. Despite the danger, we managed to bring him to our shelter.
At the shelter, Sanju's suffering continued to manifest as aggression. He was so wary of human touch that even our experienced doctors were frightened. Once, during a treatment attempt, Sanju attacked a para-veterinarian, making everyone even more cautious around him. But we couldn't give up on him. We knew we had to find a way to heal his wound and his heart.
Bhola, one of our para-vets, took a different approach. After Sanju was given his medication and sedated, Bhola sat beside him, simply being present. He didn't force interaction, instead, he used his phone, made calls, and carried on with his routine. Day after day, Bhola repeated this, sitting quietly near Sanju, showing him that not all human contact meant harm.
Gradually, Sanju began to understand that Bhola was not a threat. He allowed Bhola to touch him, and over time, he extended this trust to other members of our team. Realising that we were there to help, not hurt, Sanju's aggression subsided.
With consistent medication and careful treatment, Sanju's tumor began to heal. In a month, the once unyielding growth had vanished, and Sanju was healthy again. It was a joyous day when we released him back into the open, free from pain and fear.
Sanju's story is a reminder of the cruelty that abandoned animals often face. The ropes left around their necks become instruments of slow and painful death. If you ever see an animal with a noose-like rope around its neck, please contact organizations like ours. Together, we can save these innocent creatures from an undeserved fate.
