Visakha SPCA/India - progress and setbacks

[Guest guest]

Dear Friends, there are so many wonderful photos to show but can't put them is

this email. Please go to our web site to see the photos mentioned below:

www.visakhaspca.org (we are indeed fortunate for Mr. Derek Hogue of Canada's

excellent web design) where the below is also posted. Ms. Sherry Grant and her

teams funded by HSI Asia have been at VSPCA making amazing progress donating

their time and reconstruction funds, in spite of very difficult conditions on

many fronts. We hope you will read Sherry's informative and heartfelt blogs on

www.hsiasia.org. Also Best Friends at

http://network.bestfriends.org/international is kind enough to post our saga..

All of the help we have received so far is going to rebuild the shelter and we

are very very grateful for all of the international funding. However, we have

no source of operating expenses presently for 2006, please consider contributing

on a regular basis if possible. Something the animals can count on. Every

amount helps a great deal!

 

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We have three main activity areas:

1. Shelter reconstruction

2. Rural and city animal birth control -- revolutionized now through the one

day release

3. Outreach campaign funded by WSPA for livestock and humane

awareness/education to continued hard hit flood areas

 

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Shelter reconstruction

Left: Sadhu, 70 years old, a dedicated and great person, he comes to work at

VSPCA at 6.30 AM and leaves the last at 6.00 PM.. VSPCA employs many workers

such as these from the surrounding villages. With the employ of VSPCA they

would have none or very difficult work such as breaking rocks for road building.

Right and below:at the shelter treating cattle with infected feet due to

constant standing in the slush and mud.

The sign reads: Regard every living being as thyself and harm no one. Be kind

to every creature and destroy the bondage to karma.

 

Through the pooling of all donations received plus the boost of the HSI Asia

reconstruction grant we are able to move ahead with hiring the big equipment

needed to clear out all the debris and start serious reconstruction. Helping

dearly is local labor along with the HSI veterinary Disaster Response team

including the A.H.E.A.D team and Tsunami Memorial Animal Welfare Trust. But as

Pradeep Nath says its all a case of " blooming, blossoming and then falling down "

like much progress in India two steps forward and then one backward. With the

support of our international friends, even among unending hardships, the outlook

is bright indeed. Please become part of our efforts and help in whatever ways

you can.

 

Left: Because the green fodder is hard to get with the heavy rains the diet now

consists of a 19 grains mix, scientifically balanced to meet the nutritional

needs of the cattle until fodder is once again available for purchase - like a

porridge, the cows lap it right up outside their temporary shelters. Right:

dump trucks hard at work clearing debris at the shelter.

Below: a view of the destruction during a break in the weather

 

All other shelter animals are holding up Right: Dog named " Bharat " another name

for " India " since he was rescued on Indian founding day.

2. Rural and city ABC: Because of the fabulous help and advice we have been

getting from the HSI Asia Bali and Sri Lankan teams on mobile spay/neuter we are

moving quickly ahead to tackle all the surrounding rural areas as well as

working towards making Visakha a 100% street dog sterilized city (we are already

at 70% from years of VSPCA's work). Since 2001 we have done more than 20,000

street dog birth control operations in the city. Because of the flooding we are

currently working on 15 to 20 dogs per day but in the near future it will be 40

per day. In the rural areas we are presently operating on 200 per month.

This will also increase once the mobile plan is underway and we hope to

eventually reach 2000 villages and their 40,000 dogs. The communities we have

already touched through our outreach teams are now prime places to bring rural

ABC (animal birth control).

Below right: Part of our three truck, 10 member outreach team, feeding a

typical starving street dog that we will reach in the rural areas, rabies

vaccinating and humanely stopping the cycle of breeding.

 

3. Outreach campaign mostly funded by WSPA: After treating thousands of animals

in over 26 villages the situation is still unfortunately not very bright for the

animals of the people in the surrounding areas. Months of hard rain have

weakened many animals and death stalks all around. Specifically, foot and mouth

disease. We can control it at the shelter through our intensive efforts but

difficult to get the farmers properly educated in time for them to save their

own animals. And government help is sporadic or nonexistent. It remains on our

shoulders. And we are up to the task because our teams were well trained from

the tsunami relief expeditions. Some of the cattle were dying right in front

of us in the villages. In one village there are 1500 sheep which we vaccinated

a few days ago but immunity from Foot and Mouth comes after 10 days. Unlike the

outbreaks of this disease in the west, here the farmers will not allow the

infected ones to be killed. So we can hope for the best to save those infected

by treating with antibiotic injections, B complex, cleaning and dressing of the

wounds on the feet, and asking them to give the animal warm liquid diet. This

disease can be cured with hard work. The 26 villages that we covered were all

lucky to have the vaccinations in time while now we go forward to find more

areas that need help. The rains compound our many problems. Below right :

Leading them to safe grounds after the floods and providing feed and medical

help. Left: administering to the sheep.

 

The outreach teams carrying out the medical protocols to the animals in

distress.

Below left: helping a farmer and his cow. Below middle: In a very remote area

it was touching to help this villager who brought a street pup for medical

help/advice.

Above: our team and shelter leader Rajeskhar feeding abandoned puppies, the

mother was later found. Above: baby goat being treated. Right: doggy

checkup Below: These children brought their sick puppy in for treatment, he

is recovering now. Above and below: house cat and like all cats we have seen so

far in the field, doing just fine

 

 

Please forward this message on!

 

 

 

Visakha SPCA

26-15-200 Main Road

Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

530001, India

Tel: 91-891-3096217, 2564759

email: Pradeep Nath, Founder and President vspcadeep

www.visakhaspca.org

 

 

 

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