Update on Animals Rehabilitated from HOPE Welfare Society!
The issue:
Last year, in October, VSPCA received a message from Help Our Animals and Planet Earth (HOPE) Welfare Society. In their message, they explained how mismanagement of their sanctuary resulted in many of their rehabilitated animals dying. Knowing they needed help from an experienced animal protection and caring organisation who is well-versed in shelter management, they contacted VSPCA.
The background:
HOPE Welfare Society was formed in 2020 as a charitable society with an aim to establish a shelter that provided a refuge to the disabled and special needs animals. However, the founders of this organisation had limited experience with animals and were grossly unprepared for the commitment and effort needed to do what’s right by these vulnerable animals.
Armed with good intentions and limited funds but with an impulsive attitude, they began bringing in animals (based on calls) without establishing the necessary facilities and care processes for them. Initially, they began spot treatments for the refuged animals without the important next step of rehabilitating them into the shelter. This need of rehabiliation gradually became evident to the team members. Learning that they needed a working shelter, the founders decided to lease a piece of land to build a shelter. However, without clarity of roles and expectations amongst the founders, tragedy was looming where the toll was felt by the animals and they met their untimely demise. It was heart-breaking for VSPCA to learn all this.
The animals’ feeding schedules were irregular which led to insufficient food for many of them. Many also had many ruptured wounds. With exposure of such wounds to the elements and rough surfaces, several animals’ wounds were infested with maggots! Without administration of proper treatment for maggot infestation, many animals unfortunately died. Additionally, some animals were exposed to heavy rains and many of them died due to hypothermia. Others caught lethal viral diseases and the team at HOPE failed to administer aseptic procedures that led to the animals dying.
The deaths of so many animals alarmed the law enforcement and the Animal Husbandry Department, and they decided to intervene. When this happened, some of the founders of HOPE approached Mr. Pradeep Kumar Nath at VSPCA to help them rehabilitate the remaining animals at the HOPE shelter. However, the President of HOPE was not willing to give in.
The solution:
Mr. Nath then invited the willing founders of HOPE to VSPCA’s monthly board meeting. The matter was discussed in full. VSPCA could not simply take in all the animals without help. There were far too many to plan for overnight. The board and Mr. Nath got the HOPE founders to take responsibility in VSPCA’s rehabilitation of the remaining animals at HOPE. Majority of the team members at HOPE agreed to VSPCA’s terms. After a successful board meeting, VSPCA guided the founders on how to properly bring closure to their shelter. VSPCA staff went out of their way, for the sake of the animals at HOPE, to teach the founders how to properly and effectively administer immediate necessary treatment, care, and vaccinations to all animals prior to rehabilitation. This was a very important step because bringing them in without vaccinations for diseases like Parvo, could endanger the sheltered animals already living at VSPCA.
After completing the necessary certifications regarding the health of the animals, VSPCA was able to rehabilitate 54 animals, including dogs, cats, horses, cattle, and parakeets. Most of these animals are paraplegic and require intensive care. We also educated the HOPE group not to endanger the lives of the animals out of impulsiveness and personal motives.
Now:
VSPCA has taken in and rehabilitated 54 animals from HOPE Welfare Society. They are residing in VSPCA’s shelter and Kindness Farm. VSPCA’s team of vets, paravets, caretakers, and volunteers are ensuring that all these animals’ basic needs are met; from access to proper food and water, to the administration of any treatments, medications, vaccinations that they might still need. It has been an ordeal, but VSPCA simply could not ignore these helpless animals. VSPCA does whatever it can to help animals in distress. This is our motto and our mission.
We will appreciate your support for all emergencies like this one. Please donate generously so that VSPCA can assist struggling animals who have nowhere else to go.