dogs

campus

Infosys

Capgemini

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Over half a year after a cityof IT majorwas in the crosshairs of animal lovers’ ire for allegedly illegally relocating a host of stray dogs from its premises, leaving them vulnerable to a cruel fate, another well-known corporate here has gone down the opposite path — one of compassion.Global brandhas opened doors for the stray canine population in the vicinity of its Talawade campus, after numerous animal lovers approached the administration, asking for official permission to feed and allow these dogs on the premises.A week ago, this branch declared itself a ‘dog friendly campus’, designating spaces for the canines where food and water bowls are placed. In fact, the dogs are now also known as ‘Capgemini pets’, and a staffer has been assigned to ensure that around 16 of these strays are well-fed and have regular water supply through the increasingly hot days.Priyanka Singh Rathore, an associate consultant with the company, shared, “Some weeks ago, there were boards put up on campus asking people not to feed the dogs, because some aren’t okay with this. But, we immediately took this matter to the administration and asked for consideration towards these mute beings. The response we received was overwhelming. They immediately agreed with us. It took us some time to assert our point to people who say they don’t like dogs — today, these same people come forward and feed out new pets.” Another employee, Pooja K, added, “I joined the company two years ago and all these dogs were puppies back then. I instantly connected with them. I have worked with several companies before, but most didn’t entertain dogs. This step here is a wonderful development, with a company humanely allowing dogs on campus and even feeding them.”All employees gave credit to dog lovers on campus who were vocal about the welfare of community strays, and pushed for co-existence. Now, these employees are also approaching friends in other corporates, hoping the same movement can be emulated there.A senior Capgemini administration member told Mirror, “We had to be considerate towards both dog lovers and those who aren’t fond of dogs. So, we thought to dedicate a corner of the campus for the dogs to be fed and to stay. This way, both sides are happy. We are ensuring the dogs are fed well.”Techies in other corporates lauded the stance, citing the example of the IT professional who claimed Infosys fired him last year for protecting dogs on campus. Infosys employee Neha Joshi said, “A few of my college mates work at Capgemini’s Talawade campus and told us about the empathy extended to the strays. At our campus, whatever is to be done is done outside.” Giriraj Shinde, who works at another IT major located in Hinjawadi, said, “One of my acquaintances earlier underwent harsh treatment and dismissal from a company just for taking care of local strays. Our campus security has been instructed to shoo away and even beat strays, but not allow them around our premises. I will surely be showing this fresh example to our management and will also share it with my colleagues.”