(IN) Visakha SPCA new email reprot: Fw: Lucky dog finds a home at VSPCA, our new small animal shelter, new cow rescues, and Sarvani and Sarat's saved monkey.

[Guest guest]

Visakha SPCA updateDear kind and hard working activist friends:

The update with photos can be also be viewed online at this link:

 

http://www.visakhaspca.org/updates/2008-05-20

 

In this newsletter: " Lucky " dog finds a home at VSPCA, our new small

animal shelter, new cow rescues, and Sarvani and Sarat's saved monkey.

 

Did you know that since 1998 we have sterilized and vaccinated 50,000 dogs

in our area? We've also recenty made news in our region as we are sterilizing

another 10,000 street dogs this year with the cooperation of The Greater

Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation and the Animal Welfare Board of India.

 

Our successful animal birth control (ABC) programme helps everybody: local

people, the environment, and the animals which suffer terribly as a result of

over-breeding and fighting. The sight of starving, often injured dogs trying to

feed their young is heartbreaking. And yet the cycle goes on, unless we can

neuter them. Please help us to continue this vital work!

 

If you remember our sweet " poster puppy " who helps us promote adoption of

all-Indian dogs in a previous email report, please click here to see an updated

photo!

 

We hope to educate people about the advantages of adopting strays and the

pleasure they can give their human companions. Lucky (shown above) is the latest

story in our continuing daily rescue of animals in need, and is now one of our

128 shelter dogs. Read some of their stories here.

 

We've built a lovely new environment for rescued ducks, rabbits, guinea

pigs and mice, sponsored by the Indian film actress Smt. Hema Malini. All are

now much happier in their new, safe home with room for more!

 

For further information on why we had to start this new habitat please see

the article " Out of Bondage: It is time to set the caged animals free " in The

Hindu newspaper.

 

" The question here is not whether they are endangered or not but how they

are kept, " points out Pradeep Nath, founder of Visakha SPCA. " Birds and rabbits

are sensitive to fumes and pollutants and confinement to tiny cages for sale in

the marketplace develops many problems for these sensitive small animals. "

 

Six more cows rescued

Two of our intrepid volunteers, Kinnera and Sridhar, were disturbed when

they came upon five cows and a calf crammed into the back of a small car. They

confronted the driver with VSPCA authority, and - because they were being

illegally taken to a slaughterhouse - our volunteers seized the cows and brought

them to refuge with us. They will now be fed and looked after well. Another two

cows were rescued and brought to VSPCA shortly thereafter under even more

distressing conditions.

 

In India, it is illegal to keep monkeys, or any wild animals as pets.

Despite that they are frequently kept and ill-treated.

 

This monkey had been injured by a pack of dogs and the 'owner' had tried

treating the monkey's wound with chilies causing immense pain. The neighborhood

children, who heard the screaming monkey in distress, got help to bring him to

the VSPCA shelter for treatment.

 

Pictured here are Saravani, and her brother Sarat with the monkey treated

at VSPCA.

 

Recent news articles

a.. Pollution proves fatal for turtles (25 March 2008)

VSPCA attributes death of hundreds of turtles to the presence of nitrite

content in the vicinity of beaches.

b.. Article about VSPCA in Animal's Voice magazine by Weintraub

(PDF)

also on the web site at:

http://www.visakhaspca.org/VSPCA_AnimalsVoice.pdf

a.. A new blog entry on the Best Friends Network written by Scott

Feldstein

b.. And another one by Sharon St. Joan!

Help us continue the fight

We realize that education is vital in the battle against cruelty. To this

end, we have to find the funds to produce educational materials, and to

publicize our presence and our animal adoption programme.

 

Now, punishing heat takes its toll as we labor to keep the animals alive

and healthy in record-breaking heat (over 43ºC/110ºF) early in the season. Our

staff and volunteers are keeping their promise to not turn their backs on the

animals. We never like to turn down a request for a rescue, nor desert a

suffering animal. We have many bills unpaid at present and our hard working

staff is owed back wages.

 

With your help we can make a difference and minimize the awful suffering

we see every single day. Your donation of any amount is welcome, please join our

effort.

 

Thank you so much on behalf of all of us at Visakha SPCA

http://www.visakhaspca.org

 

Please contact us! Give us your thoughts, your ideas, your support at

info

 

All photos © 2008 Visakha SPCA

 

(This report may also be viewed online here.)