Fifty-year-old Dawn Williams went from being a commando in the prestigious National Security Guard to the residential general manager of the Blue Cross of India in a breath. The retired officer comes conditioned for any kind of eventuality and armed with a soldier’s mettle to battle out the injustices in the animal world.
“It’s a war out there,” he says. “After a day’s work, I go back home thinking ‘this shouldn’t have happened’.” The former commando recently found himself fighting for the rights of a buffalo calf that was sexually abused.
Dawn is a strong force in animal welfare in Chennai. Constantly on the move, taking on the establishment, while fighting the might of the corporate world, Dawn has rescued several animals from a life of abandonment, cruelty and death. “Wherever an animal needs help, I’ll be there,” he promises.
After retirement from the NSG, Dawn initially started as a fire and advance rescue officer at a power plant. “It was here that I was first acquainted with the Blue Cross of India. The plant had a number of snakes in its garden and I’d call upon the Blue Cross to rehabilitate them.” Eventually Dawn joined the Blue Cross on May 1, 2010.
Talking about the shocking incident of the buffalo calf that was sexually abused, Dawn says, “The police insisted on booking the culprit under Section 429 (mischief by killing or maiming cattle), but I did not leave the station until the perpetrator was booked under Section 377 (sodomy, which is punishable with a life sentence or a term up to 10 years).”
Dawn also took on a large real estate company in Chennai, when close to 30 Indian dogs were shot on the premises of the company’s new project.
“As a soldier, I can’t compromise on values and ethics. City life is selfish and cruel. Animals face the wrath of the city. When animals are senselessly massacred in villages, I blame it on ignorance,” he says. While he ensures a safe haven for homeless animals, Dawn also works towards protecting humans from animal attacks. “I would never want a human to suffer because of an animal,” he says.
Dawn makes sure that the message is spread. He often finds himself counseling youngsters at schools and colleges and making others aware of animal rights. “I think the legislation protecting our animals is good. But awareness about them needs to be created. The police is our biggest force and we have always found them to be co-operative,” he says.