Animal activist turns messiah for stray dogs

Time of India

a day ago

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Ranchi: What began as a simple gesture of kindness during evening walks for Archie Sen has grown into a full-blown mission to save the barking but voiceless — stray dogs. A 28-year-old animal welfare lawyer from Ranchi, Archie Sen has dedicated her life to caring for, rescuing, and rehabilitating stray dogs, which have suffered in silence on the city streets.
Archie started her journey in 2020 with night-time feeding of the strays along with her father. "During lockdown, the dogs were starving. Everything was shut and people abandoned them. I couldn't look away," Archie, a 2012 alumna of JVM Shyamali and postgraduate in animal welfare law from NLU, said.
By 2022, her compassion transformed into action. From just feeding, she began rescuing injured, abused and sick animals.
Since then, she has saved over 2,000 dogs across Ranchi. Each of these dogs has a story — a painful reminder of the cruelty they endure.
Working closely with animal rights organisations like PETA India and People for Animals, Archie often conducted critical rescue cases in Ranchi and nearby regions. One such case in 2022 brought her to the Jharkhand High Court after she intervened in a rescue operation at a circus in Hatia where six Pomeranians were being kept in inhumane conditions.
"It was heartbreaking. These were show dogs, forced to perform and live in cages.
When PETA reached out, I stepped in. That case is still being fought in the HC," she said.
She said an emotional moment turned her life around. "I saw a neighbour throw boiling water on a dog and her newborn pup. The puppy died hours later. That night, I couldn't sleep. From that moment on, I decided that I wouldn't be a silent spectator," she said .
Today, Archie and her father not only feed nearly 500 dogs daily but try to make their life easier. Her home has now become a makeshift shelter for many of these strays. To fund this massive effort, she runs a home bakery, baking specially formulated treats for dogs. "It started small, just to cover costs. Now, it's one of my main sources to run the shelter," she said.
"The hardest part isn't just rescuing them, but it's fighting for them.
People hit them, throw stones and injure them badly. By the time we get to them, they're often too far gone. The cruelty breaks me, but it also fuels me," she said.
Recently, Archie launched her own non-profit PAWC Foundation under which she ran the shelter home for strays in distress. She also juggled between dog-sitting, social media collaborations and online fundraising to keep her mission alive.
In 2022, her work caught national attention when she was featured on a show hosted by Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao.
"That platform gave my cause a voice. Rajkummar spoke about dog feeding with such empathy that it inspired many people to step up," she added.
Looking ahead, Archie dreams of opening a pet hostel, an inclusive space for rescued strays that not only provides shelter but also promotes adoption and long-term welfare. "I want to create a place where no animal is seen as a burden. They deserve safety, warmth and a chance to be loved," Archie added.
Ranchi: What began as a simple gesture of kindness during evening walks for Archie Sen has grown into a full-blown mission to save the barking but voiceless — stray dogs. A 28-year-old animal welfare lawyer from Ranchi, Archie Sen has dedicated her life to caring for, rescuing, and rehabilitating stray dogs, which have suffered in silence on the city streets.
Archie started her journey in 2020 with night-time feeding of the strays along with her father.
"During lockdown, the dogs were starving. Everything was shut and people abandoned them. I couldn't look away," Archie, a 2012 alumna of JVM Shyamali and postgraduate in animal welfare law from NLU, said.
By 2022, her compassion transformed into action. From just feeding, she began rescuing injured, abused and sick animals. Since then, she has saved over 2,000 dogs across Ranchi. Each of these dogs has a story — a painful reminder of the cruelty they endure.
Working closely with animal rights organisations like PETA India and People for Animals, Archie often conducted critical rescue cases in Ranchi and nearby regions. One such case in 2022 brought her to the Jharkhand High Court after she intervened in a rescue operation at a circus in Hatia where six Pomeranians were being kept in inhumane conditions. "It was heartbreaking. These were show dogs, forced to perform and live in cages.
When PETA reached out, I stepped in. That case is still being fought in the HC," she said.
She said an emotional moment turned her life around. "I saw a neighbour throw boiling water on a dog and her newborn pup. The puppy died hours later. That night, I couldn't sleep. From that moment on, I decided that I wouldn't be a silent spectator," she said .
Today, Archie and her father not only feed nearly 500 dogs daily but try to make their life easier.
Her home has now become a makeshift shelter for many of these strays. To fund this massive effort, she runs a home bakery, baking specially formulated treats for dogs. "It started small, just to cover costs. Now, it's one of my main sources to run the shelter," she said.
"The hardest part isn't just rescuing them, but it's fighting for them. People hit them, throw stones and injure them badly. By the time we get to them, they're often too far gone.
The cruelty breaks me, but it also fuels me," she said.
Recently, Archie launched her own non-profit PAWC Foundation under which she ran the shelter home for strays in distress. She also juggled between dog-sitting, social media collaborations and online fundraising to keep her mission alive.
In 2022, her work caught national attention when she was featured on a show hosted by Bollywood actor Rajkummar Rao. "That platform gave my cause a voice.
Rajkummar spoke about dog feeding with such empathy that it inspired many people to step up," she added.
Looking ahead, Archie dreams of opening a pet hostel, an inclusive space for rescued strays that not only provides shelter but also promotes adoption and long-term welfare. "I want to create a place where no animal is seen as a burden. They deserve safety, warmth and a chance to be loved," Archie added.