We felt we had to say something... emergency and other news!
Dear friend of India/Nepal's animals,
We pray you and yours are doing well during these difficult times. You have read the news (see way below for an updated report) and maybe you have wondered how the animal groups are fairing during the latest lockdowns and curfews. The street animals (and marginalized people!) suffer so with the business being closed and people are afraid or not allowed to come out of their house!
While many of the staff and workers are in quarantine the skeleton crew is coming in with PPE and no shelter animals are starving. If anything there are less accident cases from the road. The good news is that street feeders for the animals already know where to get the special passes they had to receive last year during the strict lockdown so they are not stopped by the police for feeding animals on the street.
Just like we humans need our daily essentials, designated workers and volunteers are providing food and water to strays since it is also an "essential service." While world leaders, health experts and epidemiologists are doing their best to find a way to prevent or at least slow down the spread of the pandemic, it is important to remember the health and safety of animals that depend on humans for their survival.
We wrote this about a year ago and sadly it is applicable now once again:
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.
See our feeding video here:
Join our fundraiser on Big Give for our Washington State and help us meet our goal!
From our grantee in South India at Karuna Society for the Animals and Nature
Those who need a reminder of the salaries in India compared to Western dollars please see below and perhaps be inspired to help more of these wonderful staff members - having a good job in the "compassion business" of saving animals! Let us keep blessing them bringing sweetness and saving so many animals!
Buggani Ramulamma
Ramulamma has been with Karuna Society since 2016 and was the recipient of our 2020 "Super Woman" Award - she is a shining example of the strength of a woman! On any day, she can be spotted carrying heavy loads of grass or vegetables for the cattle, sweeping the yard, scrubbing areas, and inspiring other employees and even the grateful animals, with her 'can- do' attitude! Salary USD $136.00/month
Thank you again, Help Animals India, for your ongoing support, inspiring us to forge ahead helping the animals!
P. Gangamma
Gangama has been a part of Karuna Society from its inception! She joined Karuna in 1998 as a cook, along with her husband P. Narasimha who is now the Manager of the Cattle Rescue Project.
Over the years, she has fed and cared for thousands of animals. Her special skill is to care and foster orphaned, injured, and sick puppies. Salary USD $129.00/month.
You spoke. They listened.
#Kusha is an elephant who escaped from a camp and was living in the wild when he was recaptured after a year. Animals lovers and activists including Smt. Maneka Gandhi raised their voices for him and he will be free again!
So, remember YOUR voice matters. Speak up! Always!
The #PariahDog is an award-winning movie about four men and women who devote themselves to caring for these often-neglected animals, despite their own material and philosophical struggles. Remember Help Animals India was able to help all these rescuers last year. Watch this on #MovieSaints at a 50% discount through this link through May 23, 2021.
New cow shed
Good news for cows in Nepal! We are pleased that the Federation of Animal Welfare of Nepal (FAWN) reports that the cow shed has been built that was funded by Help animals India donors! These were the 250 stray cows that were cruelly dumped in the forest in the effort of getting them off the Nepal streets. Alone with no food Sneha's Care appealed to us and we funded a new shed and fodder for their continued care. Sweet cows deserved no less. We are so thankful we could help!
Nepal is now on new lockdowns also as many returning workers from India who left to go home brought the COVID with them. At least we can know the cows and other animals can have enough food if we continue our help.
Another ambulance funded by Help Animals India donors!
People for Animals Hoogly is located in Kolkata, reports of many animal rescues using the vehicle are coming in!
Please enjoy our photo video for the year of 2020, see all the good that was done that extraordinary year.
More about India's Covid Crisis
From DW News re: India's unfolding coronavirus crisis:
More than a million and a half cases in just a week, and thousands of deaths, every day. India is overwhelmed. Crematoriums are working overtime, hospitals can't take in more patients and medical supplies are running low. How did it come to this and will things get worse, before they get better?
The deadly chaos of the second wave of coronavirus infections is in stark contrast to the first. Last year, India dealt with that by imposing what was called the world's strictest lockdown. India's streets fell empty and coronavirus case counts dropped eventually, seemingly contrary to warnings about the danger India faced.
Even before the coronavirus spread around the world, epidemiologists warned that India could see the worst of it. Some of the most crowded cities on earth coupled with an ailing healthcare system foreshadowed disaster.
But the first wave of the pandemic seemed to have spared India. At the end of March 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a total lockdown of the entire population for three weeks - the most severe step taken anywhere in the world at that point.
It appeared to be a success. By the beginning of summer, the country of 1.3 billion people was still recording a small number of daily cases. When monsoon season hit, cases rose steadily, peaking at over 90,000 per day. But in October, with the virus in decline, government scientists speculated that India had reached herd immunity.
The ruling party flaunted its success. Modi spoke at the World Economic Forum at the end of January, declaring the virus 'defeated.' When India began vaccinating, it took pride in exporting vaccines to other countries in need.
Then came Spring, and with it, the spread of two new coronavirus variants, British and Indian. Cases began rising. The government imposed some restrictions, but millions gathered to celebrate the Holi festival of colors and Kumbh Mela at the Ganges River.
India's second wave was swift and unstoppable. The daily case count in April has doubled every ten days - an exponential curve. Even the most optimistic models predict India could see another month of this before the second wave peaks.
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.
