They say that dogs are the best friends of a man and perhaps the guide force behind the canine and other animal rescue options in Odisha. Toi highlights such efforts. Bharat News

A few days ago in a calm east-grain hours, when most of the residents of Bhubaneswar were still in deep sleep, a tender piercing siren broke the silence. emergency? A cat was stuck in a abandoned well in Nayapalli.This was not a specific fire emergency. However, for the Odisha Fire and Emergency Service (OFES), every life, human or animal is precious, in line with the state government’s zero-casualty mission during any disaster or crisis. Successful rescue, which saw that the cat rises, is one of the recent years in defense of thousands of animals made by OES.According to official data, the department has saved about 69,980 stray animals and birds from various crisis situations in the last five years. Among them, including cattle and dogs, wholesale was rescued from drains and manhole.During the same period, human rescue was a total of 44,120. Official data also shows that between 2020 and 2025, 6,545 human deadly and 10,426 animals were killed due to fire and other disasters.Abhimanyu Swain, a veterinarian and animal welfare activist from Bhubaneswar, said, “Especially notable that animal rescue has overcome human rescue. It not only reflects the efficiency of the department, but is also increasing public awareness about animal welfare.”DG (Fire Service) Sudhanshu Sarangi said that the officials have gone beyond their basic duty of fire fighting. “Every crisis matters to us, whether it is for an human or animal. The pleasure we feel after each successful rescue is irreversible. The cat in Naayapalli can end without immediate intervention, but today it is back to its feet for our team’s quick response,” Sarangi said.Animal rescue has shown a stable growth: 9,572 in 2020; 10,174 in 2021; 13,373 in 2022; 13,813 in 2023 and 14,576 in 2024. In the first half of 2025, OPES has already conducted 8,469 operations.The Covid-19 epidemic proved to be a significant turn. Decred, stray animals on the streets faced unprecedented challenges.“During the epidemic, we saw many cases of animals trapped in unusual places – construction sites, drainage systems and abandoned buildings. Our teams took special training to handle various species and situations. Today, they are far better to respond to animal emergency situations, ”said Dig (Fire Service) Uma Shankar Dash.However, challenges remain. An official of the fire department said, “Urban development often leads to animals getting stuck in construction sites or falling into open manhole and drains. We will request civil authorities to resolve these issues.”Ofes is now focusing on rescue as well as prevention. Plans are underway to introduce special animal ambulances, set up a dedicated rescue training center and strengthen emergency reporting and reaction time. Awareness programs in schools and communities on animal safety are also in the pipeline.The state government has promised to increase the wing with modern equipment and training. The Center recently approved Rs 201.1 crore for expansion and modernization of service, while the state separated Rs 394 crore for upgradation.“We want to introduce fire fighting programs so that our personnel can handle much more than just the flames. They will choose their areas of expertise from 13 domains,” Sarangi said.