(IN): AWBI member on dogs rescued from PUNE-SPCA

[Guest guest]

Dear All,

 

Please find below the mail sent by Ms. Anuradha Sawhney, member AWBI

which was sent exclusively for AAPN rs and all those who

perhaps after reading news reports published by esteemed dozens of

national media organisatons are still skeptic and need more details.

 

From what one understands after reading Ms. Sawnhey's mail is that

this was indeed a commendable work by AWBI to have initiated this plan

of action, something that should serve as a model to caution all the

other (if any) erring organisations countrywide and make them

understand that the AWBI 'whip' can hit them hard if they try to mess

around by any form of a tyrannical rule towards animals.

 

Any animal rescue/ treatment organisations are there so that they SERVE.

If any of them cannot afford to do what they should be doing, they

must simply close shop.

I do not understand why we should try and show our solidarity to

defunct organisations rather than for the inmates inside who are our

primary concern.

 

If any person has reason to believe that something wrong with animals

is happening in:

 

1. A house

2. A farm

3. A hospital/ rescue centre

4. A lab

5. On the streets,

6. or any damn corner of planet earth.

 

then just reach out to the nearest Police station and voice for the

voiceless as we have been doing in cases of minor girls rescued from

brothels and children from slavery.

 

I had earlier also once said, and I say this once again.

 

By not allowing the ugly truth in some cases of mistreatment towards

animals by our own family members (those working for animals), we may

instill a deadly confidence in their mindset that they can get away

with anything wrong they do against animals.

 

Azam Siddiqui

 

Note for the Moderator:

 

Dear Dr. John,

 

I do not think the following newspapers have gone and done a blunder

by publishing a report just based on allegations.

I had posted just the link of a credible media, the Indian Express

In my next post I would post a few more news links of equally credible

national media house reports, so that the critics can compare them.

I spoke with a few insiders in the media houses and they say that

those who feel the report is biased and baseless can report the matter

to the editor, write on feedback columns in their sites. Or lodge

protest with the 'Press Council of India' or drag them to court.

 

AAPN is a networking group where we must not restrict information from

trickling in.

Yes, sometimes if any post is posted with any wrong and vested motive,

it does get exposed in time and that is also very good for us all to

know that there are people who go down to such tactics.

 

Merritt exposed sometime back after a probe on a false report posted

on AAPN, and we all know how well the adverse publicity could have

gone down to tarnish the goodwill of the offender.

 

Azam

 

-------- Forwarded message ----------

Anuradha Sawhney <anuradhas

Sun, 31 May 2009 00:13:28 +0530

RE: (IN): PETA rescues 11 dogs from SPCA, suspects

mismanagement of funds

azam24x7 <azam24x7, drkrishna

Cc: Secretary AWBI <secretary.awbi

 

Azam,

 

Just for the record, though no idea why we need to defend the action taken

by us as Board members and on the instructions of the Board, 2 trustees

present at the SPCA, Lt. Col. Amariya and Mrs Mala Kumar both independently

have stated TO ME that the Pune SPCA is a hell hole for animals and that

animals are suffering there and that there is total mismanagement taking place

on every front.

 

Mrs Kumar told me personally that the trustees - of which she is one please

note - have reduced the quantity and quality of food being fed to the dogs even

though the number of dogs has not reduced.

 

When I was there at the SPCA on Thursday I saw a sweeper keep her bucket of

dirty mop water down and go to clean something and these poor dogs who were

starved for water in the terrible heat crowded around and started to drink

it. I tried to get into the enclosure to stop them but they drank all that

filthy water before I could get in.

 

There was a dog with a maggot wound with no dressing, no ointment - the wound

had not healed, flies were everywhere.

 

A vet named Dr. Bhokre working with the P SPCA told me personally that he is

not allowed to spend over Rs 3000/- on medicines for the dogs IN A MONTH no

matter how many dogs they have present who need treatment. He said one month

the cost went up to Rs 5000 and the trustees were furious with him.

 

There is no record of how many dogs are present in the SPCA on a particular

day - Lt. Col. Amariya showed me a figure of 103 dogs for Monday but

according to his list there were no pups when the Board member and the

member of the committee set up by the Bombay high Court to monitor cruelty in

Maharashtra as well as the senior vet from the Bombay vet College all saw SIX

pups on Monday!

 

A locked room according to a doctor had nothing in it but on opening it was

found to have 4 teenie tiny pups inside!

 

We were told on Thursday by Dr. Bhokre that a black dog seen on Monday had

died between Monday, the day of the inspection and the Thursday when we

returned and that his body had been removed, yet the dog was found to be

alive and kept in a corner of the shelter!

 

One of the attendants, IN FRONT OF MY EYES, carried a dog by one leg all

across the way from one enclosure, across another one and finally into the

third enclosure. Please see the photograph that accompanies the Ind Exp

article - is this any way to carry an animal, especially by people who are

supposedly working for them? The animals are in the shelter because they

have no one else to depend on and this is what is meted out to them???

 

Dogs with distemper were not being treated and dogs with terrible skin

infections could be seen living with healthy dogs.

 

There were the bodies of 2 dead dogs lying all bloated and smelling in an

enclosure in the middle of the enclosure where all the dogs were living.

These were in addition to the 2 dead dogs who had been lying dead in the

same enclosure on Monday when the inspection had taken place.

 

I know what i saw when I was there on Thursday and we have a formal report

given by a senior vet from the Bombay Vet College on the state of the

animals in this same shelter as well as a report given by 2 people - one a

member of the board and the other a member of the committee set up by the

Bombay high Court to monitor cruelty in Maharashtra.

 

The original complaint to the Board on the goings on at the Pune SPCA had

been sent by a couple of trustees of the Pune SPCA, howzzat??

 

A formal report has been turned in to the AWBI secretary as well as to the

Chairman and anyone who has a doubt on what are the exact state of affairs

should either visit the place or ask the Board for a copy. I have copied the

Board on this email.

 

The Ind Exp report was not as detailed or as exact as the reports given in

the TOI Pune page 4 today - 30th May, and the report given in the DNA Pune

edition page 3 on 29th May. Azam if you can, please could you pick up these

2 reports and post them for me so that people can know the true state of affairs

at this shelter.

 

The sad eyes of this little puppy, with no hair, no treatment and no food or

water, taken on Thursday at the Pune SPCA, for me symbolize the sadness felt by

every animal in that shelter.

 

Anyone is welcome to go visit the Pune SPCA and see the state for

themselves.

 

Thanks Azam

 

Anuradha Sawhney

 

Member, AWBI.