How do you define empathy? Can you find a semblance of solace in the service of sentient beings pushed to the margins?
These are profound questions that Sarah Iyer — a 58-year-old former special needs educator and founder of the Madras Animal Rescue Society (MARS) — has been answering with conviction for nearly five years.
Since October 2019, the Chennai-based MARS, an animal welfare trust affiliated with the Tamil Nadu Animal Welfare Board, has been running Daaman — a dog shelter situated along the East Coast Road (ECR) in Krishnan Karanai near Mahabalipuram.
Daaman has over 380 dogs in their care, of which 42 are paraplegic puppies and more than 50 are either partially blind, blind or have neurological issues. The shelter is also home to more than 100 paraplegic adult dogs while the rest are old, abandoned and suffer from other disabilities.
Backed by six full-time staff members (all women), Sarah and Gerry spend their days feeding, treating,…