Porbovado, Calangute. It is a little after dusk. A time whenall the birds come home and even the homeless stray in. A stocky village elderwith a shock of silver grey hair rides into the outskirts of Saligao on hisgearless scooter. As he whistles, dozens of pariah dogs emerge out of nowhere.Nobody is barking nor growling as they feast on chicken legs, goat hooves andmeat leftovers from butchers and rice. The dogs and an occasional cat are asdomesticated and disciplined as a pedigree.
“If only the animals could speak, policymakers andauthorities would have had a heart from them”, says Agostinho Proenca thesexagenarian from Calangute whose work with stray animals moved even Goa’sChief Minister Manohar Parrikar into proposing the setting up of a state levelcommittee, under his leadership, to look into the issue of stray and abandonedanimals and a plan of action to take care of them. A former ‘Gulfie’ and one ofthe biggest landlords of Calangute, Agostinho already had a life extraordinary.From taking up serious community causes in the Gram Sabha about Calangute’smany civic issues, to being one of the most respected names of this urbanvillage, he has been one of the most vocal villagers from Calangute.
But “it is in the innocence, the helplessness, the neglectof these animals that I find my calling”, says the soft spoken man. Hisprizefighter’s frame belies his love for animals that he proudly opens up foranybody willing to share his happiness with. A cow named Wendy greets you athis 4000 square meter farm on the border of Calangute village, a pair of geese,David and Lisa, cackle in excitement as they swoop in to eat from his palm.“Every animal has a name, an identity and the more time you spend with them yourealize that their personalities are as distinct and humane as humans”, opinesProenca. And he isn’t off the mark. From the seventy odd pariah dogs that hefeeds anonymously in Saligao, Calangute, Sangolda and Parra to the dozens ofdifferent animals that populate his farm, each animal has a name, a characterand Agostinho has a different persona for them.
It all started seven years ago when on the sidelines ofsetting up his farm, Agostinho witnessed the way stray dogs and cattle were runover by rogue motorists and insensitive drivers. “Imagine being homeless,unwelcome and seen as a threat in any neighbourhood. Atleast the humans cancommunicate their desires and needs, the animals can’t”, he says. He startedwith budgeting couple of sacks of grains and animal leftovers from the nearbybutcher into his monthly expenses. Next followed the immunisation of thestrays. Even the nearby Animal Rescue was surprised that why would someone takesuch care of so many strays. “I would like to add all the strays”, smilesAgostinho, his narrow eyes looking pained as he discusses the way humans treatanimals. But for the strays in Calangute area, their insurance of a decent lifeis the neighbourhood Uncle Dolittle who does a lot more.
