Animal Welfare

Blind, Not Broken

Rescued blind dogs and cats on the road to a home of their own

In collaboration with: Project Meher
Where: Mumbai and Thane, India
When: 2021 to present

Project Meher is a non-profit that rescues, rehabilitates and rehomes animals, many of them blind. Its founder, Vinita Kalgutkar, has been rescuing animals since she was sixteen, and scores of her rescues, most of them blind dogs and cats, have found loving homes in India, the United States and Canada. Since 2021 I have photographed these animals through their rehabilitation and their preparation for adoption: from recovery and foster care to the day some of them boarded flights to new families on the other side of the world.

Blind, Not Broken sets out to destigmatise disability in pets by showing what these animals are capable of. It asks us to look past appearances and the idea of a picture-perfect pet, and to see them as companions to connect with: sentient beings who are affectionate, innocent and have so much love to give.

A white Indian Spitz stands on a lawn, eyes closed, mouth open in a wide grin — Timmy was found cowering under a car on a street in Thane, both eyes damaged beyond saving.

Timmy stands on the grass facing the camera, ears up, tongue out — After emergency surgery and months in a loving foster home, she grew into a sassy, curious bundle of joy.

Timmy rolls on her back in the grass as a hand rubs her belly — Today she lives in Seattle, after a journey from Mumbai through Doha and Los Angeles to her new family.

A black-and-white kitten with clouded eyes, held up in two hands — Totoro, born on the streets of Mumbai, was a blind two-month-old fending for himself when he was rescued.

Totoro rests his chin on the edge of a pet carrier in a car — On the drive to the airport, before his flight to a new home in the United States.

A tan dog with a red collar sits on a garden path, face turned up, mouth open — Baman, now adopted in Canada. Blind dogs read their surroundings with remarkable instinct and intelligence.

A white cat with tabby patches lies on artificial grass, eyes closed, wearing a red bell collar — Loki, rescued a few years ago, found her home with Nivedita in Thane.

Nivedita laughs as she holds two cats, a tabby kitten and Loki, on a leather sofa — Nivedita with Loki and Pua. Left in a ditch, Pua kept calling for three nights until someone heard him.

A ginger cat with closed eyes rests against the shoulder of the person holding him — Jahan, an abandoned blind cat, now adopted in the United States.

A white-and-ginger calico cat with closed eyes sits upright on a round brown cat bed by a window — Suki, adopted in the United States.

A white-and-ginger cat lifts his head while lying beside a purple plush toy — Obi, who is diabetic, lives at the Project Meher centre.

A tabby cat with narrowed eyes sits on a beige sofa against a textured wall — Teles, who lives with Project Meher’s founder, Vinita Kalgutkar.

We are defined by what we have, not limited by what we don’t.

Blind, Not Broken

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