News Updates
November 2009: Disaster relief; new cat shelter; horse sanctuary; more...
Dear friends,
A big thank you to all who donated to help with our ongoing disaster relief efforts. VSPCA is continuing our vitally needed flood disaster relief program (for more info please see our last report). Current efforts include providing assistance to 14 villages still reeling from the floods. People and animals are homeless and living on the roadsides.
The Greater Good Foundation (which runs the Animal Rescue Site) has made it possible for us to provide families with relief packages to get back on their feet. Other agencies are helping people too, but none are helping animals. By caring about people and animals alike, we send a powerful message to the communities, governments and aid agencies that animals matter too!
Hey thanks! We will not feel abandoned by the outside world with your help.
We have also been distributing over 450 bags of special animal feed which improves the animals' chances of survival under these extremely stressful conditions.
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| Gee, haven't eaten anything in so long, I wonder if they have something for me too ... | Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy! |
We are inspired that people from far and wide compassionately contributed to our flood relief efforts. Caring about animals that have no nationality gives us great hope that compassion will flow whereever it is needed, beyond artificial borders.
New cat shelter addition
Recently we were honored to host our patrons Mr. and Mrs. Phil and Trix Wollen of the Winsome Constance Kindness Trust. Activities included a visit to the disabled children's school with our new Dr. Paw dogs; a vegan meal for our area's poor people; and the inauguration of the new addition to our cat shelter.
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| Our residents enjoying the new addition to the cat shelter. | VSPCA member caring for abandonded kittens beside the VSPCA Olive Walker ambulance. |
Finally the word is out that there is a place to bring abandoned cats and kittens in Visakhapatnam.
We need your generous support to complete the shelter and for ongoing help to rescue and spay/neuter more cats. Already our office phone is ringing off the hook with calls to help our area's cats. We cannot do this without you!
Respect and love for cats is new to India – please help us with your monthly or with a one time donation.
Announcing a major new project for VSPCA: a sanctuary for horses.
Here is BHPV, named after the Industrial Park where he was found abandoned. He is enjoying one of the new sheds we have just built for our four horses. The horses do go out grazing much of the day but we need to build a horse sanctuary to take in many more abandoned and needy ones. Please contribute to this worthy project -- it will be a shining example to inspire better treatment for the estimated 20,000 working horses in our area.
See this story about our area's horses in the Hindu: "The number of horses in the district will be around 20,000. No expenditure is involved for their grooming as they are left in the forests to graze like other cattle."
Read BPHV's full story and please consider sponsoring him or our other needy animals.
New VSPCA residents in our small animal area
Pradeep Nath writes: These ducks were rescued from a slaughter shop. It seems that now there is a duck company propagating this and like chickens they are being kept in tiny cages without food and water to be consumed. Terrible! I am having a meeting with these industry bosses to try and stop these practices. More conflict!
Please note: this report does not show the reality of the daily suffering – understand we try to share the good news with you. Currently the shelter is fighting a serious outbreak of Hoof and Mouth disease. Each cow has to have its wounds treated daily – a heroic effort for our staff compounded currently by cyclonic conditions. All of the over 1000 animals are so loved and it is a heartbreak to lose even one.
Your kind donation of any amount will help – please donate!
Right: our cow surgery and dispensary room.
Our best wishes to everyone on behalf of Pradeep Nath and all at Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals.
Eileen Weintraub,
volunteer for VSPCA outreach