Rakesh Shukla | |
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Born | 1971 |
Rakesh Shukla (born 1971[1][2][3]) is an Indian entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and animal welfare activist. He runs a home in Bangalore for over 700 rescued dogs.[1][4][2]
Shukla received a Bachelors of Engineering degree in Electronics and Communications, then a Masters in Business Administration. He then worked in various telecom companies[specify] in India, the US, and Singapore before becoming an entrepreneur.[5][better source needed]
Shukla self-funded and created The Writers Block (TWB) in 2006, which provides technical writing programs.[6][7] The company employs a large number of women who had left jobs to raise children.[8]
Shukla founded Voice of Stray Dogs (VOSD). In July 2010, it was merely a website.[9]
In response to media reports of the July 2011 death of a two-year-old boy named Sandeep, supposedly killed and eaten by stray dogs,[3] Shukla carried out his own investigations at the site, persuading the authorities to do a second autopsy.[3] He eventually finding evidence against the dogs being responsible.[3] After this, Shukla held a press conference under VOSD's name.[3]
With the eventual death of Cookie, a paralyzed St. Bernard found in garbage in Bangalore in September 2012,[10] Shukla established an independently funded dog rescue home under the auspices of VOSD.[11] VOSD began rescuing injured or ill dogs on 15 October 2012[9] and began emergency rescues on 16 October 2013.[12]
For his work rescuing stray dogs, Shukla has been labeled "The Dogfather of India".[13][3] He has appeared on television, radio, and newspaper interviews speaking on behalf of dogs, including BBC,[11] Al Jazeera,[14] CNN IBN,[15] NDTV, and TED.[16]
VOSD ran a 2017 program called "PatriotDogs", which provides homes for dogs retiring from the Indian security and military forces. It got support from celebrities Virat Kohli[17] and Soha Ali Khan Pataudi,[18] and appeared in publications Times of India,[19] the New Indian Express,[20] MTV India,[21] and the Deccan Chronicle.[22]
Shukla was named one of Bangalore's Heroes in 2013.[3] He features in the book Real Inspiring Stories by Pradeep Khare.[23]