Fw: (LK) Please help if possible

[Guest guest]

Friday, 03 August, 2001 03:52

Please help if possible

 

 

> I am sending our latest newsletter as an attachment just in case you would

> be able to help. We need funding and also publicity. Thank you. See how

> you could help please. Any assistance would be gratefully appreciated.

> Thank you.

> Champa Fernando (secretary KACPAW, Sri Lanka)

 

 

KACPAW Newsletter No.8 23 July 2001

Dear Members/Donors/Friends

 

 

Evicted!

To carry on the story from where we left off last time about the opposing

party who objected to our presence

at the dog pound, we wish to let you know that we were evicted on the 1st of

July from it. That Sunday morning, before 10:00 am, we had to hastily plan

out some makeshift arrangements to house the dogs we had at the time. We had

to move everything we had, bowls, beds, mesh enclosures, etc. etc. We did,

and our dogs are now being cared for at a temporary set up. The very young

ones were taken by various members to their homes. Fortunately, Rohini had

taken to look after nearly 20 pups (the sickly and malnourished ones) to her

home a week or so before the eviction.

 

At the time of our eviction, luckily, we had found homes for most of the 80

dogs mentioned in the SOS sent to you earlier. Or else, the situation would

have been catastrophic (or rather " dogastrophic " ). The media support we got

and have been getting for this work is really heartening and so very helpful

in finding new homes.

 

GOOD NEWS!

 

Well all is not hopeless. On 6 July 2001 we started work at the site of our

new shelter on a land allocated for this purpose on the farm belonging to

the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science of the University of

Peradeniya on the Uda Peradeniya Road. For proposing the land for the new

shelter, we have to thank none other than the present Vice-chancellor of the

University of Peradeniya, Prof. Kapila Gunasekera, which proposal was

supported by the Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal

Science, Prof. H. Abeygunawardene, and the academic staff and students of

this Faculty. We thank all of them profusely and are sincerely appreciative

of their humane understanding of our problem and the way they made it

possible for us to continue this work. KACPAW's shelter will be run in

collaboration with this Faculty. The site is beautiful and spacious (119

perches) and a model shelter will be set up to care for the absolutely needy

dogs. We hope that animal lovers in other districts would set up similar

shelters.

 

The New Shelter

 

We have begun work on the new shelter using our savings and will complete it

stage by stage according to the funds available. We are setting off on this

ambitious project fearlessly as we are encouraged by all the support we have

been getting from you. WSPA (World Society for the Protection of Animals),

UK, is supportive of this endeavour and we have sought support from the

RSPCA. We need around Rs. 1,500,000 to complete the first stage (site

preparation, gate and fencing, kennels [3 units] and enclosure, kitchen and

storeroom, and the water and sewage systems). Once fully completed, with

further kennels, office, clinic, caretaker's room, pantry, sick kennels and

isolation unit and also a garden shed and dog bath, we should be able to

keep at a time around 100 forsaken dogs. With proper publicity, our vigorous

re-homing programme can be continued. Consider this: with all the

impediments and constraints we've had, from November 1999 to date we have

found homes for 590 homeless dogs (even the blind and the lame) and have

handled 785 dogs.

 

When the new shelter is ready to accommodate the dogs we have now,

(hopefully in about one and a half months' to two months' time) we do hope

there will be much more voluntary help coming its way (those who want to

sponsor/help the shelter please see page 6).

 

Once the shelter is completed, we will be concentrating on building up a

capital so that we can manage our day to day expenses on the monthly

interest we get. If not for your continued financial support and response to

our requests for help we could not have achieved so much in so short a time.

It is indeed an encouragement to see the tremendous response we have had

from you every time we needed help. The Treasurer wishes to say that

receipts are sent to acknowledge every donation, however small. If no

receipt has been received by you please let her know immediately. Receipts,

however, cannot be sent to those who send money directly to the KACPAW

account, unless the sender informs the Treasurer. Please write cheques in

favour of KACPAW and send money orders to the Treasurer KACPAW payable at

the Katukelle Post Office. Also, address all your queries regarding the

above-mentioned matters to the Treasurer (contact details on page 5).

 

News! News! News!

 

q Encouraging News on those Red Collars

 

Mr. W.M.L. Bandara, the Chairman of the Ayagama Pradeshiya Sabhava

(Sabaragamuwa Province) recently bought 2000 red collars from us to issue to

the rabies-vaccinated dogs in his administrative area. He will see to it

that dogs in these areas are duly vaccinated and the collar issued. Such

dogs, he said, will not be killed. This is so very encouraging and we thank

him for being such a public spirited, caring and compassionate administrator

(incidentally, Ratnapura District of the Sabaragamuwa Province has a very

high incidence of rabies).

 

q Kandy Pilot Project Sterilization Programme

 

The fifth free sterilization programme organized by the Kandy Municipal

Council (KMC) was conducted at Mawilmada on 30 April 2001. The above

programme was initiated in November 2000 with the leadership and financial

support from the then Hon. Governor of the Central Province, Mr. T.K.

Dassanayake, and his Secretary, Mr. H.M. Samatilake at KACPAW's request.

While the four previous programmes were funded by the Hon. Governor, and

conducted by a team of veterinary surgeons and students of the Department of

Veterinary Clinical Studies of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal

Science of the University of Peradeniya, led by its Head, Dr. Niranjala de

Silva, the fifth programme was funded by the Social and Animal Welfare

Foundation and the sterilizations were done by the veterinary surgeons of

the Foundation Dr. Sumith, Dr. Wasanthakumara and Dr. Manohari. Around 47

animals (dogs and cats) were sterilized at the fifth programme.

 

 

 

At all five programnmes, KACPAW distributed the red collar to be put on the

rabies-vaccinated dogs. A total of about 350 dogs has been sterilized in

the five free sterilization programmes conducted under the above programme.

It is necessary to find funds to do the balance programmes to cover the

remaining wards of the KMC. We wish to thank the Hon. Governor and his

Secretary for giving the impetus and the leadership as well as finances to

conduct the programme, the KMC's Veterinary Department headed by Dr. S.R.

Jayasinghe, for organizing these programmes, the Veterinary Faculty and the

Social and Animal Welfare Foundation and their skilled veterinary surgeons

for their ready support to make the above programme a reality.

 

q Reviewing of Future Sterilization Programmes

 

KACPAW is reviewing the free sterilization programmes that are to be

conducted in the future with a view to expand them to cover the entire

Central Province. It is felt that a larger number of dogs (than a mere 40-50

dogs) need to be sterilized in one programme to ensure more lasting and

realistic results. Two members of the KACPAW Advisory Committee, Dr. S.S.I.

Ranawana, Director General, Department of Animal Production and Health, and

Dr. Niranjala de Silva, Head, Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine of

the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of

Peradeniya, also feel that such a programme should yield better results in

reducing dog population growth humanely.

 

 

 

Dr. I.P. Sidharan, Provincial Director, Animal Production and Health, has

already drawn up such a programme and its objective is to conduct

vaccination and sterilization programmes in the Central Province at

veterinary range level. KACPAW met Dr. Sidharan in this regard. Dr. S.B.

Dhanapala, Member, KACPAW Advisory Committee and Chairman of the SLVA (Sri

Lanka Veterinary Association) Task Force for Eradication of Rabies has

proposed to KACPAW that it would be possible for the SLVA Task Force for

Eradication of Rabies to join hands with KACPAW and the RSPCA in a Joint

Project for Eradication of Rabies, starting with the Kandy District and then

Matale and Nuwara Eliya districts and hopefully the entire country. Although

this is a massive undertaking, he feels it can be implemented if there is a

will. The necessary manpower, materials and assured finances are essential

for this project in which the focus will be to conduct free surgical

sterilization of dogs and cats, including strays and give free vaccinations

against rabies of dogs and cats. KACPAW hopes to discuss this programme

with the RSPCA.

 

 

 

q KACPAW/WSPA Conference on Humane Stray Dog Control for the Effective

Eradication of Rabies in Sri Lanka - Early Next Year

 

There is no argument that control of dog populations is essential and

fortunately, today, there is agreement among all parties concerned, whether

it be state authorities or society as a whole, that any form of dog

population control should basically adopt humane methods in keeping with

modern global trends in animal welfare. The above-mentioned KACPAW/WSPA

Conference will focus on the issue of humane stray dog control for the

effective eradication of rabies in Sri Lanka. The main objectives of the

conference are to:

 

· sensitize the parties concerned in humane stray dog control,

 

· provide a forum to discuss this issue and exchange views, and

 

· formulate an action plan to implement a humane stray dog control

programme in Sri Lanka.

 

 

 

To achieve the above objectives, it is essential that all the concerned

parties, both public and private, are involved in this conference. The

participants will, therefore, be drawn from all of the various state

institutions responsible for rabies control and related concerns, policy

makers, veterinary surgeons, and animal welfare groups. Media publicity

will be obtained.

 

 

 

This conference, initially scheduled to be held in Kandy on three days of

the last week of November 2001, has now been re-scheduled to be held within

the first quarter of next year. Its Chief Guest will be the Hon. Minister of

Health. The conference was proposed by WSPA to KACPAW and is being organized

by KACPAW in consultation with the Department of Animal Production and

Health, Sri Lanka and WSPA. It will be funded by WSPA.

 

 

 

q Help from KACPAW's Friends Overseas

 

Recently, when the Secretary of KACPAW visited the UK to attend a WSPA

conference, she visited the RSPCA's shelter at Patcham. There she met some

very caring people who pledged support for KACPAW. Jenny, Barry, Lucy, and

Pam were so touched by our work and were so happy to learn of KACPAW's

commitment to animal welfare. True to their word, they are helping KACPAW.

Some of them have become life members and others have sent in donations.

This is what Pam wrote to us recently: " We are still collecting for you

amongst the staff and also any public we can talk to and we shall have a

stall for you on our Open day on the 15th July, so hope we can get some

publicity for you then. Do hope your work is going well and we all wish you

courage and strength to keep going. "

 

 

 

We also have friends supporting our work from Canada, USA and Thailand.

Talking of friends overseas, it's about time we offered a special thank you

to three KACPAW livewires, Sue Marsh from the UK and Tessa and Rod Weaver

from Australia, who have been helping KACPAW silently since its inception.

The encouraging words and support and strength they have so consistently

given us when KACPAW faced so many ups and downs will always be appreciated

and valued. And, many thanks for being there, always.

 

 

 

 

We Need Names for

 

KACPAW Dogs

 

We have given names to 780 dogs and understandably are running out of them!

So, please every one, especially the juniors, send in names to the address

given in this newsletter.

 

We also encourage you to send in any written material, poetry or prose on

animals, for publication in issues of this newsletter.

 

Also, those who have taken KACPAW dogs we would love to know how they are.

Send us a photo or a small write up or both for publication in our

newsletters. Mrs. Nimal Perera of Colombo 3 who recently took Nangi says:

 

" Nangi is delightful. The moment she came she had a dettol bath, which she

loved, and then promptly took her seat under the dining table, her favourite

nook. She emerges to play with the other dogs, is very happy, and has

ravaged a pair of my best shoes and adores Maliban gingernuts. She is

forgiven and kissed and told never to do so again. "

 

[Footnote: A Happy Story

 

Nangi (case no. 678) was about 2½ months old at the time Mrs. Perera took

her, which was 30th May. Nangi is white and has a black patch over one ear

and was a bundle of mischief even when she was with us. Her only sibling,

Kalu (case no. 680), was taken in by Mr. and Mrs. R. Griffin of Ragama on

the same day and their mother Sudu (since sterilized) is being spoilt by

Mrs. S.R. Fernando of Watapuluwa, Kandy. All of them came to our shelter on

4 April 2001 and were found homes in less than two months.]

 

Announcements

 

q KACPAW News in Sinhala

There were many requests for a Sinhala version of KACPAW activities. Hence a

Sinhala version is available. Please contact us if you need one of the

Sinhala newsletters (isxy, msgm;la wjYF kuz wmj wu;kak & . Eventually, we hope

to have one in Tamil too.

 

q Are You Interested?

Are you interested in coming into more active KACPAW work? Would you like to

serve in the Committee? .

 

q Clarification

 

Several people inquired from us whether KACPAW is part of the Kandy

Humanitarian Society. No, we are not.

 

q Colombo Members

 

If you need to send any donations in kind, please contact Thinushka

Gunasekera, 9, Charles Drive, Colombo 3 (tel. 573287 after 7:00 pm). Thank

you Thinushka for helping out.

 

 

 

Contact address and tel. no. for all inquiries:

 

Treasurer, KACPAW

 

532/10A, Siebel Place, Kandy, Sri Lanka

 

Tel. 00 94 08 223378 (after 9:00 am) or

 

Email: nihalas (Champa)

 

Webpage: www.geocities.com/kacpaw

 

Can You Please?

 

q Do you visit the UK regularly? If so, could you help us by bringing what

we request from the RSPCA? Pease contact Champa on 074 470292 (after 6:00 pm

or email [page 5] her).

 

Details of dogs (51) to be homed: Except the very young ones, most of the

older dogs have been given Parvo, DHL and ARV.

 

2-year males = 02

 

1-year females = 03 (sterilized)

 

8-10 month females = 05 (sterilized)

 

6-7 month females = 10 (sterilized)

 

6-month males = 01

 

5-month females = 03

 

4-month females = 02

 

3-month females = 16

 

2-month females = 06

 

2-month males = 03

 

 

KACPAW KENNELS