Animals’ Friend Hospital raided in memory of founder Crystal Rogers

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, November/December 2010:

DELHI–Avenging the memory and intentions of Animals’ Friend
Hospital founder Crystal Rogers, 32 years after her forced
resignation by trustees she alleged were only trying to grab the
land, deputies for the Animal Welfare Board of India on October 23,
2010 removed all 18 dogs from the premises. The dogs were relocated
to the Friendicoes animal shelter, also in Delhi.
“With the dogs safe, we can work on taking action against
this so-called hospital, and the shocking cruelty that it was
perpetrating on the animals,” attorney Anjali Sharma e-mailed to
ANIMAL PEOPLE. “It is now being used by an unscrupulous
industrialist for housing his office and staff, with the hospital
merely a front.”

Brigadier (Retired) V.S. Sukhdial initiated the raid at
request of AWBI director General (Retired) Rammehar Kharb. “Twinkle
Gogia, who alerted us to the plight of the dogs, who were
perpetually tied, not exercised, and inadequately fed, was present
for the rescue,” Sharma said.
Emigrating to India with her parents at age six in 1912,
Rogers initially did animal rescue as a mobile canteen driver with
the Gurkha Regiment in World War II. She founded Animals’ Friend in
1959. Ousted in 1978, Rogers relocated to Jaipur, directing the
first Help In Suffering clinic and shelter from 1978 to 1991, when
she turned Help In Suffering over to Christine Townend, who was
succeeded on retirement in 2008 by present director Jack Reese, VMD.
At age 85 Rogers then founded Compassion Unlimited Plus Action in
Bangalore.
Among the young volunteers and visitors Rogers whom
influenced at her three shelters were Geeta Seshamani, who founded
Friendicoes in 1979; Maneka Gandhi, who founded People for Animals
in 1984; Amala Akkineni, founder of the Blue Cross of Hyderabad;
and Suparna Ganguly, Sheila Rao, and Sanober Bharucha, her
eventual successors at CUPA. Rogers died in 1996.