❤️ News and Views: Help Animals India
Dear friends, donors, well-wishers and all around good people who care!
We hope you are doing well. We are ever grateful for your ongoing interest and support — the animal world's troubles may seem endless, but human kindness never takes a holiday.
Through our worldwide circle of compassion, Help Animals India works to save and enrich the lives of birds, buffaloes, cats, cows, dogs, donkeys, elephants, horses, and monkeys, among other species, domesticated and wild. The needs and requests can seem overwhelming, but each and every animal we reach is a victory in overcoming needless suffering!
In this issue, we would like to take a moment to humbly honor and highlight one of our partner charities, Blue Cross of India in Chennai (formerly Madras).
The info below is from the new book History of the Animal Welfare Movement in Madras-Chennai, by Prashanth Krishna.
Blue Cross of India was founded in 1964 by Usha and Captain V. Sundaram and is presently led by Dr. S. Chinny Krishna. The charity's achievements are too numerous to mention here, but they include:
- First in the world to propose spay/neuter as a dog population measure to replace the brutal killing of dogs by municipalities. BCI took up the ABC-AR program (for "animal birth control" and "anti-rabies" vaccinations — as Dr. Chinny said, it's "as easy as ABC" to help the dogs), which results in zero killing of street/community dogs! The adoption of this measure is responsible for the dramatic reduction of rabies cases in humans, as well! ABC-AR (anti-Rabies) was endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1990, made a national policy in India in 1997 and finally a legal requirement in India in 2001.
- The banning of animal dissection in schools and its replacement by computer models.
- Kindness clubs, humane education, the yearly "Great Indian Dog Show" (beauty pageant for Indian native dogs), Dr. Dog programs (dog therapy education for at risk children).
- Banning the cruel export from India of monkeys and of frog legs. The frogs were being decimated for gourmet diners abroad despite being invaluable domestically for controlling mosquitos.
- Rehoming stray cattle; banning heavily loaded bullock carts.
- Animal Hospitals, animal ambulances, animal shelters and adoptions.
Help Animals India continues our main support in the most ancient city of Varanasi, which holds challenges indeed for humane management of street dogs, rescue of dogs/cats/monkeys, and ongoing education to foster kindness to all animals.
In 2023 alone we are so proud of numbers below of community dogs helped through ABC (animal birth control) and dogs helped and treated with expert veterinary care!
Daily activities at Varanasi for Animals and many other Help Animals India grantees include:
Help Animals India grantee PFA (People for Animals) Agra came to the rescue of the buffaloes seized in this truck on their way to slaughter - sadly, not so unusual in India and Nepal. Once the truck was opened, the heart-wrenchingly abusive conditions under which these poor souls were being transported was visible. One of these trucks can carry at most 20 buffaloes, but they had somehow managed to pack in 61. To add to the animals' misery, the truckers had tied their horns and hung them from the top. The buffaloes were all so petrified and exhausted. By the time they arrived at the shelter in Agra, they had already traveled a distance of approximately 230 kilometres in this condition. You can read more about the not-so-scared status of cows in India here.
Help Animals India stepped up to help the dogs and cows of Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha, through our grantee Animal Nepal. Read more about how we are helping animals in the footsteps of the Buddha.
Projects go on daily and latest stats include those above. Every number here represents a life touched, cared for, and given a chance at a better future. Our mission is fuelled by your support. Consider donating to help us continue this impactful work.
From Help Animals India grantee Catmandu Lovers!
We need your help to keep up the fight to serve and protect all animals, and to give them the love and healing after rescue they deserve!
Help Animals India grants your kind donations to both well-established and emerging animal protection groups who confront daunting obstacles every day in their mission to rescue, shelter and fight for the rights of animals. We work closely with these groups and vouch for their courage, compassion and determination. Our guidance helps them improve their missions and operations so they can maximize their effectiveness as advocates for and defenders of the animals of India and Nepal.
We wish you all the blessings to be well and have success in your efforts to bring happiness and comfort to all.
With deepest gratitude and appreciation — from the Help Animals India team, our colleagues in India and Nepal, and the animals.
