Tsunami Reports
Tsunami animal relief report - May 2005
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.
Ramayapeta village. We rescued this mother dogs with her pups. She had taken refuge at the temple premises (these small outdoor temples are found in all Indian villages) which seemed to be the only safe place left for them.
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.
Our team together at Maipadu village after concluding the medical camp. Dr.Madivilatha - vet, Srinivas - animal helper, SK Saheb and other member volunteers.
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 and United Animal Nations 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.
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 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 VSPCA.
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