How a Yoga Class With Dogs Is Helping Strays Find Homes

Envision a yoga session that is distinct from all others. Gentle illumination fills the space as you glide through positions, yet you are not by yourself. Energetic puppies romp about, their inquisitive noses poking and little tails wagging. This touching encounter goes beyond being a distinctive yoga experience — it represents Pawga’s greater mission of combining health with animal care. By establishing an environment where people and animals interact, they enhance both mental and physical health while also fostering learning and efforts to provide these animals with the caring homes they merit.

In December 2020, three college friends — Subhashree Madhavan, Sinduja Krishnakumar, and Swathi Renugopal — began an ambitious mission to transform pet adoption in India. “As animal enthusiasts and regular volunteers at shelters, we witnessed the endless number of homeless puppies and kittens in need of caring homes.” “We were resolute in our mission to create change and provide a better life for these innocent beings,” expresses Subhashree, the founder of Pawga. Their eight-month study revealed a distinctive concept. Subhashree explains, “In certain countries, we observed that individuals frequently practiced yoga with their pets for enjoyment.” “We aimed to modify the idea to make it advantageous mainly for the animals.” Consequently, Pawga (a combination of ‘Paws’ and ‘Yoga’) came into existence.

The initial workshop took place during the pandemic in Chennai, with 12 participants and puppies from Blue Cross of India. What began as a modest, trial event has evolved into a significant initiative supporting adoption and the well-being of animals. In the last four years, the organization has effectively held numerous workshops and events involving pets in Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore, and Bengaluru, successfully securing homes for more than 130 stray animals.

At its core, Pawga aims to establish a community where each animal is appreciated and nurtured. An essential emphasis is on promoting animal welfare alongside the adoption of pets that the participants practice yoga with. The shelters offer them stray animals available for adoption during the sessions too.  Indian mongrels have historically been wrongly categorized as ‘street dogs’, leading to misunderstandings about their nature and fitness as pets. This bias is confronted by including these dogs in their workshops. Through highlighting their playful, loving, and tough characteristics, their effort to change public perception has proven successful, illustrating that Indian mongrels can be as loyal and loving as any other breed. The participants, too, are quite accommodating to the pets and interact appropriately.

The appropriate procedure involves signing adoption documents and follow-up visits from the shelters’ side to ensure the pets are receiving proper care even after a few months. “Our team ensures that each adopted pet’s basic and medical needs are met by the owner,” says Velu. “Rocky has added so much joy to our family that he doesn’t feel like a dog, he’s more of a member of our family. My mom feeds him first and then serves us food, that’s how close he is,” shares Dinesh, highlighting the importance of finding the right home for the pets.

“We believe that if every family adopts one dog, there won’t be stray dogs in the first place,” Velu emphasises. Pawga’s efforts, from experiential adoption drives to education on responsible pet care, are making significant strides in transforming the way people view and treat stray animals.

With their innovative approach, Pawga is not just finding homes for animals but also bringing in the ‘pawsitive’ attitudes, one yoga session at a time!