Visakha SPCA, India update

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Dear friends, here is Pradeep Nath's report (please scroll down to bottom for

all pictures) on the ongoing tsunami related relief work at the

Visakha SPCA in Visakhapatnam, India www.ahimsatx.org/vspca:

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The dark times of the tsunami have provided us with an opportunity to do good:

the lessons we are learning today will help prevent more miseries tomorrow. We

profusely thank everyone of you for being a part of these rebuilding measures

and helping us secure a happier place for the animals who have such difficult

lives.

We began the Animal Birth Control (ABC) program in Pothinimalayapalem (PMP)

which had been our earlier target. A plan comprising of the surrounding

villages round the city and the coastal Tsunami villages has been prepared to

allow to help strategically. Shown below are street dog catchings and operated

dogs awaiting their release.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What was remarkable to us was that at PMP the people love the street dogs.

Almost all of the street dogs are community dogs and and we have to give a lot

of education and explanation promising to return the dogs back after their shots

and operations. It is two months since we began here and almost 120 dogs have

undergone the project. And we intend to cover all the dogs which are within the

vicinity of 30 kms. radius of the shelter.

 

Aside from the special outreach area we continue to help the dogs in

Visakhapatnam and nearby areas and 500 dogs have gone through our ABC program in

these past two months.

 

It is our intention being the only animal welfare organisation (AWO) on the

Andhra Pradesh coastline to garner local AWOs nearby and to promote groups in

taking up animal welfare and build a strong network. Our aim is to develop the

best possible connections in the remotest of areas. Our objectives have been to

train the locals, build compassion among the people, train for handling natural

calamities, provide long-term medical benefits to the animals, help the people

with their livestock and conducting such medical camps that induce love and care

for the animals.

 

We know it is a long road which is dependent on the resources but we will keep

trying. Aiming at 20 villages to begin with in the first phase for the couple

of months we intend to expand rapidly as we improve with more joining us and

helping us.

 

In this regard has been the upgrading of all our medical equipments and medical

protocols all aimed at providing the best at all circumstances whether at the

Shelter or at the mobile camps.

 

Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights http://www.avar.org/tsunami.html

and United Animal Nations http://www.uan.org/news/india_diary.html sponsored the

recent wildly successful 10 day visit of Dr. Rick Bachman and veterinary

technician Mike Bannasch to our shelter along with donations of medical

equipment and vaccines from them and Dr. Bosmat Gal of Animal Rescue League of

Boston as well as valuable training to improve medical protocols to allow the

dogs to be released within 24 hours after operation.

 

We are indebted to Pam Runquist of AVAR for organizing all.

 

(Shown below -- Dr. Bachman with our vet Dr. Vellavan and donated gas anesthesia

machine and blood analyzer centrifuge.)

 

 

 

 

It used to take four hours for the dogs to wake up but with the change

 

in premed and the use of the new anesthesia machine the dogs have better

recovery and this female dog (right) is waking up within half an hour after

operation on a cushion that maintains good body temperature. This is another

improvement brought to us by the visiting American vets.

 

We are in a crucial critical phase but if we are unable to reach the full

entire 600 kms with the comprehensive plans due to lack of resources we will

still visit them to provide immediate relief measures for their animals and

consult for them as necessary.

 

The extreme heat has been a major hindrance but we continue our work with the

same enthusiasm. But with compassion from the people such as in the PMP

community our job is more easily done as they will look after the street animals

once we return them.

 

With your generous contributions we continued building up relations in our camps

around those areas at the time of the great tragedy and we began the most

important camp from south of our shelter. We are particularly grateful to Best

Friends, USA www.bestfriends.org (click right on tsunami relief) for their

recent support. With each contribution we are able to expand and help more

animals in better ways but need continuing funds to maintain our ambitious and

extended activities.

 

We pay our heartfelt thanks to all of you for making this a possibility. Regards

from all at Visakha SPCA www.ahimsatx.org/vspca

 

Below: VSPCA staff and visitors VSPCA cat shelter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visakha SPCA

26-15-200 Main Road

Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh 530-001 India

vspcadeep