ISL 2023-24: Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant walk out with rescued dogs to raise awareness
Players from both teams came out on the field with 10 rescued dogs before the kickoff to highlight the cause of animal rehabilitation.
Football
In a step towards advocating for pet adoption and welfare, players from Bengaluru FC and Mohun Bagan Super Giant walked onto the pitch with rescued dogs before their Indian Super League 2023-24 match at the Kanteerava Stadium on Thursday.
The pre-match ceremony saw 10 rescued dogs, accompanied by players from both teams, walk onto the field before the kickoff to highlight the cause of animal rehabilitation.
Rescued by Bengaluru-based Second Chance Sanctuary, these dogs were either recently adopted or awaiting adoption.
“Our love for animals at Bengaluru FC is no secret, and we’re over the moon to be joining hands with the lovely people at Second Chance Sanctuary. This is our small little way of highlighting their efforts,” said Darren Caldeira, Director of Football at Bengaluru FC.
“Second Chance Sanctuary was established with a mission to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome dogs in need, and in just the last two years, we have successfully rescued and rehomed over 700 dogs from Bengaluru and other cities in India.
“We extend our deepest gratitude to BFC for providing us with this wonderful platform to showcase our work and we are committed to continuing the conversation around the importance of adoption and animal welfare,” said Neel Bhupathi, Trustee of Second Chance Sanctuary.
Second Chance Sanctuary, registered in 2022, works for rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming animals with their current focus being dogs who are abandoned, surrendered by their owners or confiscated due to cruelty.
While Bengaluru FC ended their campaign with a 4-0 defeat to Mohun Bagan Super Giant, the awareness campaign at the Kanteerava Stadium was the first in a series of unique activities Bengaluru FC intend to organise with Second Chance Sanctuary.