Adopted Bay Area teen raising money to help senior dogs find forever home
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (KGO) -- A 14-year-old girl from the Bay Area with a big passion for dogs has raised a total of $14,000 to help senior dogs find a loving forever home.
"They (senior dogs) remind me of when I found my loving home with my parents and I wanted to do the same," said Meena Kumar, owner of Pet Fairy Services in San Jose. "I feel like they should all find a forever loving home like I did."
At nine months, Meena Kumar was found abandoned at a college campus and was brought to an orphanage in Pune, India. At the age of two, she was adopted by her forever family in Mumbai, India.
Meena's love for dogs started at a very young age. Her parents were waiting for the completion of her adoption process in a small apartment in Mumbai when they came across a dog who gave birth to a litter of puppies.
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"She was born with a love of animals," said Jaya Subrahmonia, Meena's Mother. "Keeping a two-year-old amused in a tiny apartment was a challenge and thank god a dog had a litter of puppies. That's how we made it through the few weeks until we brought her home to San Jose."
Growing up, Meena would visit the Humane Society Silicon Valley in Milpitas almost every weekend. On a walk with her dog Bambi, she ran into a neighbor who adopted a senior dog from Muttville Senior Dog Rescue in San Francisco.
After learning about Muttville, she became a frequent visitor and that's when she knew she had to help the senior dogs in some way.
"Many people should adopt more senior dogs because they can give you the same love and affection as any other dog," said Kumar.
Unfortunately, she lived over an hour away and was too young to become a junior volunteer at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue but Meena was determined to find a way to help.
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At nine, she came up with the bright idea to open a pet boarding business in her home called Pet Fairy Services.
With the help of her mother, Meena posted an ad on the Nextdoor app and her business started to blossom. Meena began to take care of animals around her neighborhood and donated all her earnings to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.
Pet Fairy Services offers dog-sitting, walking and boarding and "ensures that your pet will receive the best care and love."
"I thought this would be a way that I could spend more time with dogs and also help Muttville." said Kumar. Helping senior dogs was her homage to her Grandfather, Thata, who recently passed. "I took care of him to the best of my ability and I want to do the same thing for senior dogs."
Within five years, Kumar raised $7,000 from Pet Fairy Services. Her Father's workplace, Intel, matched her earnings and she was able to give Muttville a total of $14,000.
"Every three to six months, as she grew up, she would show up with a check," said Sherri Franklin, Founder of Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. "She is so passionate and wants to make a change in the world because of her we are able to save more dogs. She is a gift to Muttville."
Kumar plans on continuing Pet Fairy Services with no end in sight. During the coronavirus pandemic, she is putting her focus on pet healthcare after noticing that senior dogs need more medical attention. This summer, she has teamed with Pebble Naturals to help provide low-cost care for senior pets.
"Her love for animals has completely transformed us," said Subrahmonia. "I have learned so much from her. This has been wonderful, emotionally and we have all grown through this journey."
"I just hope that all of them find a forever home, just like I did," said Kumar. "If you do a lot of hard work and follow your dreams, you are sure to succeed."
To donate or for more information, visit Pet Fairy Services.
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