Spring update and appeals
Dear Friends/Supporters/Well Wishers for India/Nepal Animals!
As India goes through the "second wave" we pray the lockdowns won't be as severe as a year ago. The street animals (and marginalized people!) suffer so with the business being closed.
We wrote this about a year ago: So many of us are sitting at home wondering when it will all end. How we can help others. As bad as it is for people, imagine being a street dog , cat or cow in one of the developing countries in the world? Now imagine that all of the tourists have fled, all hotels and restaurants shuttered as well as all vegetable markets and food vendors. Imagine that you go to the place you go every day to eat from heaping garbage piles that these establishments throw out each day and finding nothing there. The hunger and desperation becomes intolerable. There is no one outside to see you suffer or lend a small bite of food. They are scared to come out of their homes and you starve to death. You can make a huge difference in the lives of these forgotten and neglected animals through our supported organizations.
Now India's increased Covid numbers are possibly pushing for another severe lockdown. Our groups are at the ready to keep helping as they can!
However, in general India does much much better than USA in Covid deaths why? Less testing or because of less obesity, more Vitamin D and less meat?
What is definite is that the heat is on!
Record breaking heat wave is here (up to 110F) and many groups provide water bowls. In India it is an ancient tradition to provide water for "travelers" and the street animals are homeless drifters.
Here is our Sarnath Project, North of Varanasi with water bowls for the cows.
Elsewhere at Aurangabad Animal Peers has distributed many homemade water vessels like this one.
OMG what cuties these are were scooped up and adopted out while Mom dog gets spayed and tamed down to live as a friendly community dog
Poaching problems!
Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre (WRRC) Bangalore — is near where the rescued elephants are supported and many other types of wildlife are taken for rehabilitation until they can be released or kept for life. It is rare to have such a good facility for wildlife in India.
Here from our long time beneficiary is an urgent appeal: Poor babies! WRRC rescued these 50 rose ringed parakeets from poachers. They would (if they had survived) have been sold in illegal pet markets or even gotten smuggled abroad. Sadly, some poachers know where to look for the birds and raid their nests. In other cases, they dupe or coerce the local tribal people to help them find the nests and raid them for the fledgelings. Now we need your support to take care of them. Constant feedings and care demand 24/7 care, we need to support the resources now to save them!
Last year we helped Project Humane Nepal (partnering with Sneha's Care) to give rabies vaccinations to street dogs when no one else was helping them. This year we are funding them (partnered with SPCA Nepal) to do a 300 dog spay/neuter/vaccination project near Kathmandu to an area not previously helped. Here is the dedicated youthful staff and volunteers. They are also passionate about humane education and go to many schools to reach out and educate young people.
Project Humane Nepal writes:
"Our vision is simple - a Nepal where all dogs, irrespective of being a stray or a pet, are respected and treated with compassion"
Project Humane Nepal runs Ongoing education classes, now that pandemic is winding down can be done in person such as this one. It all starts with education and awareness! One classroom at a time!
It's truly amazing to see the looks on the faces of all the students when they realize the situation of dogs in the community and that they can make a difference
We can relate to the girl in the back row as she is too sensitive to look but surely she will be the most effective person helping in the future.
Of course ABC (animal birth control) efforts go on daily for most of our supported groups as the only solution available currently.
At our project for Varanasi for Animals 289 dogs (125 males, 164 females) just in March 2020 (with the support of Varanasi Municipal Corporation) with another 13 rescues in that one month alone.
Each community dog is caught humanely and the entire neighborhood comes out to learn what is going on to keep their dogs safely spay/neuter/vaccinated and brought back afterward!
Ongoing Help for cats
Our project of TNR (trap/neuter/release) for our grantee is the first urban project in Bangalore through CUPA (Compassion Unlimited Plus Action). Now we are getting cat traps to other locations to help the cats, however, we have been cautioned that the traps not fall into the hands of the cat meat hunters - terribly sad its still a problem, so we must help as many cats as we can so this does not happen anymore.
Here is Sashi, one of the beneficiaries of the project, along with being treated and cured he now he has more years of being welcome in his "hood" now that he is neutered.
Amazing - watch the beautiful transformation after poor puppy falls into a vat of tar. Hard working volunteer activists perform a miracle at People for Animals (PFA) Nashik in Maharashtra, India. Pup has a bright future now!
Another new ambulance!
If you helped with our matching fund from last newsletter we are pleased to show the vehicle purchased and is already rescuing many animals from the streets of Sikkim. No other vehicle has been available to help. We are fundraising for more vehicles like this, please help if you can!
As summer looms there are more challenges for keeping the animals at all the shelters fed and healthy.
Our Grantee Karuna Society in Puttapathi (where there are rescued cows/buffaloes/dogs/cats/monkeys/bears/deer) all in happy environment) writes:
When somebody calls you an "old cow" it is meant as an insult. At Karuna Society the term "Old Cow" is a compliment, for the cow and the society. Karuna has rescued more than 700 cows, buffaloes, donkeys and horses. Where in the world can you find an old cow that looks like it? Hip bones sticking out, walking slowly - that happens when you are a 24 year old cow or buffalo. Most milking cows and buffalo go for slaughter after giving birth to a few calves. Without profit the still young animals are sold for slaughter. An old cow is a rare sight. We do not have the power to change all of the cruel milking industry but with your help, our rescued cattle can live out their natural life in peace.
THANK YOU so much for your continued and much needed support!
With love and deepest appreciation from the Help Animals India team, all of the animals, and our colleagues in India and Nepal who serve them. We again wish you a much better 2021 and success in your own worthy activities to bring happiness to all!
