For years, Rimjhim Joshi Shende has been feeding stray dogs in Silicon City, Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

But the idea of ‘Pawsitivity’ — an initiative that manufactures QR-enabled reflective collars — was inspired by a certain incident.

Rimjhim recalls how Timmy, one of the dogs she would feed, was hurt in a road accident one night. “He was lying by the side of the road and was hit by a car,” she says.

The locals told her that the driver had taken time to check up on the dog, even splashing water on his wounds. “But, then they left, not seeing what more they could do at that hour of the night,” Rimjhim shares.

The incident spotlighted how negligence wasn’t the only culprit for dogs being hurt in road accidents.

A blend of factors — including dim street lighting, venturing into the middle of busy roads, and low visibility — are often to blame, Rimjhim concluded.

Today, Pawsitivity’s reflective collars are a step towards helping dogs and cattle across India.

To date, the initiative has helped 20 lakh dogs and cattle, but with millions of strays across India, this number isn’t so high.

The advantages of the collar go beyond curbing road accidents. Rimjhim says its QR code-enabled design helps encode essential information about the dog. This includes the name (if it has one), approximate age, vaccination history, medical history, and location.

“It can be scanned by anyone who finds the dog, enabling them to access crucial details about the animal’s health and help reunite lost dogs with their feeders,” she shares.

In areas where mass vaccination and sterilisation drives are conducted, the collars help track dates and details to prevent duplication of medical treatments.

This Valentine’s Day, we urge you to help us give 5,000 dogs across India this same sense of belonging with just Rs 40. Let’s spread the love and give these pups ‘fur-ever’ protection.