Fw: (LK) ABC Kandy Sri Lanka

[Guest guest]

-

Padma

aapn

Wednesday, December 12, 2007 8:10 PM

(LK) ABC Kandy Sri Lanka

 

 

Dear Friends,

 

 

 

just to update you all on the work of SOFA:

 

 

 

COURT-CASE

 

 

 

We had to go to courts to prevent the Kandy Municipal Council (KMC) from killing

dogs again after having agreed to a birth-control-programme. This case is

pending since almost three years now. (For more details see: www.sofakandy.org )

 

The appeal-court has turned the case back to the district-court with a strong

recommendation, that both parties should come to a settlement. Since the last

order given by the district court on 4th of July left room for a review, the

judge of the appeal-court decided, that this review should take place before an

appeal is being made. Fact is, that the chamber of the district-court-judge did

not release the written order within the two week-period to be observed for an

appeal, so we did not know about the review-option and had no choice, but to

make a tentative appeal. However, now it's going back to the district-court on

16th of January and we may have to come up with an offer for a settlement.

Probably we should let go of the contempt-charge if we get a written agreement,

that the KMC will not start killing the dogs again.

 

 

 

PROGRESS

 

 

 

We have sterilized 10400 dogs since the programme commenced five years ago. The

progress was a bit slow last few months because we were short of funds, however

our most faithful sponsors have helped us out again so that we can continue at

least with our routine clinics now. A group from Germany also has come to help

so that we can finally start with a programme in Gampola. one year after the

Mayor requested us and pledged his full cooperation. Gampola is a small town 25

km away from Kandy, first few months we will do weekly clinics for domestic dogs

and possibly get some community-dogs done in those clinics also if we can find

volunteers to have an eye on them after surgery, real stray-dogs we'll start

catching as soon as we have found a suitable land and put up some buildings to

house these dogs for a few days before and after surgery.

 

 

 

PUPPIES AND KITTENS

 

 

 

Even though our focus is the prevention of unwanted births, fact is, that still

unwanted puppies and kittens are being abandoned and we cannot just turn a blind

eye. Around 40-50 puppies and 5 -10 kittens at any given time are being taken

care of by us and we are re-homing many of them, but we also lose quite a few

because due to lack of quarantine-facilities viruses spread quickly whenever

there are too many of these little ones in one place. From the survivors many

remain with us for life because only the very cute ones get adopted. We are

always a bit torn in our hearts when it comes to dividing our time and money:

definitely it would be the most economic and most effective in the long run to

focus completely on the preventive work, but as human(e) beings can we ignore a

tiny one on a very busy road?

 

 

 

ACCIDENT-VICTIMS

 

 

 

Very frequently we receive calls informing us about dogs injured by vehicles, we

usually admit them to the university vet-clinic for treatment, but after they

have been fixed, the clinic is asking us to vacate the kennels even though these

animals are usually not yet fit to be returned to the street. These dogs too we

have to house, some of them only temporarily, but many of them remain

handicapped and therefore remain with us for life. The option of euthanasia we

consider only when an animal is clearly suffering and has no hope of recovery.

 

 

 

PERSPECTIVES

 

 

 

With better laws for protection of animals waiting to be passed by the

parliament and with better government-policies with regard to rabies-prevention

and dog-population-control, we have some hope, that our pioneer-work, which

seems a drop on a hot stone sometimes, will eventually bring about some change

in the fate of animals. There are vast areas of animal-issues in Sri Lanka, we

have not even investigated properly. the farm-animals, transport and

slaughter-houses, the wild animals, the working elephants, the temple-elephants

etc. because our group is so small, that we are quite busy with the work we have

already started.

 

 

 

We realize that there is a potential in our country to sensitize more people and

inspire them to act on behalf of our speechless companions, but right now all we

can do is to inspire them by doing what we are doing. We remember the times when

we all did not know each other, we all did a little rescue now and then, we all

felt the pain of the abandoned and abused, but we felt so helpless and hopeless.

Then we got to know each other through the formation of the first animal welfare

association in Kandy in 1999, from then onwards we started working together and

eventually formed SOFA in 2002 making it possible for few more people to make

their desire to work for animals a reality. Still we are a tiny group anyway and

even bigger organisations are based on a very small, but strong " kernel " , but

the critical mass is coming together.

 

 

 

APPEAL

 

 

 

Sri Lanka is experiencing a deep economical crisis right now with not much hope

in sight, even rice has gone up in price by 50% during the last few months, milk

has become a luxury-item, out of reach for many now. Where people are hungry,

there are less left-overs for dogs and cats, leave alone money to get one's

female dog sterilized. It is more essential than ever, that we can offer free

sterilizations for domestic dogs to prevent more puppies being dumped.

 

We completely depend on regular donations to continue and expand our work, we

sincerely hope, that all those, who have supported us in the past, will continue

to do so and sincerely thank each and every one for even the smallest

contribution.