Bengaluru: In what was a first in Indian sport, Bengaluru Football Club’s association with Second Chance Sanctuary saw the Blues walk out onto the field at the Kanteerava Stadium with rescued dogs, ahead of their encounter against Mohun Bagan Super Giant, on Thursday. The initiative, which is part of the Blues’ attempts to raise awareness about pet adoption, fostering and more, saw as many as 10 rescued dogs walk out with the teams, all of whom are either recently adopted or up for adoption.
“We at Second Chance Sanctuary are incredibly proud and honoured to be part of the very first walkout with BFC that includes our beloved dogs. Second Chance Sanctuary was established with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dogs in need, and in just the last two years, we have successfully rescued and rehomed over 700 dogs from Bengaluru and other cities in India. We extend our deepest gratitude to BFC for providing us with this wonderful platform to showcase our work, and we are committed to continuing the conversation around the importance of adoption and animal welfare,” said Neel Bhupathi, Trustee, Second Chance Sanctuary.
With a collective experience spanning decades, Second Chance Sanctuary was registered in 2022 with the aim of rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals - with their current focus being dogs who are abandoned, surrendered by their owners or confiscated due to cruelty. The dogs that accompanied the players at the Kanteerava were all either up for adoption or recently adopted through Second Chance Sanctuary. In the past year, Second Chance Sanctuary facilitated as many as 239 adoptions across the country and attended over 100 cruelty cases.
“Our love for animals at Bengaluru FC is no secret, and we’re over the moon to be joining hands with the lovely people at Second Chance Sanctuary. The work they do in the field of animal rescue and rehabilitation is immense, and this is our small little way of highlighting their efforts. Their constant aim is to educate people about animal adoption, and to see their happy dogs make their way out onto the field tonight was a special moment,” said Darren Caldeira, Director of Football at Bengaluru FC.
The event at the Kanteerava on Thursday is the first in a series of unique activities the Blues intend to organise with Second Chance Sanctuary, as part of a longer association. With Thursday's fixture at the Kanteerava, Bengaluru FC’s Indian Super League campaign came to a close.
IMAGE CREDIT: BFC MEDIA
