News Updates
October 2014: Help us rebuild after Cyclone Hudhud devastation
Dear friends, supporters, well wishers, colleagues and people of good will:
VSPCA and the Kindness Farm have been hit by the devastating cyclone Hudhud and desperately needs your support right now. See photos of the damage here: "We will come back better than ever with your kind help."
Cyclone Hudhud passed directly over our area of Visakhapatnam.
The government ordered evacuations, but the brave people of VSPCA stayed behind to rescue the animals. The city is now in ruins-downed trees, no water, no food, no electricity, limited transportation. Watch this short video of the day after in the city.
Infrastructure at the Kindness Farm and Shelter where over 1800 rescued animals reside have been destroyed - roofs ripped from shelters, flooding, animals left without proper homes and vet care. Rescued parrots are being kept warm in the quarantines until their aviary can be rebuilt. VSPCA needs to rebuild the animals' homes to make them stronger and better. Additionally-they're the only organization rescuing injured animals over 1000 miles of coast land. These photos show how VSPCA is helping already right afer the storm.
Whole trees ahve been uprooted throughout the shelter causing incredible damage, as seen here in our goshala (cow sanctuary).
The sea turtle hatcheries will have to be shifted. We are still awaiting reports for the bird rescues - see recent photos before the storm here.
VSPCA is very skilled at preparing for these disasters and made all arrangements to protect the animals. Now the challenges are to keep them all dry and fed with the roofs blown away, to keep the critical cases to keep improving, to feed all with the prices of food going up drastically due to shortages for everyone.
This was our fabulous ABC (animal birth control) kennels, the trees sheltered them to give relief from the brutal heat so that dogs could recover from their surgeries in comfort. Now our ABC program running continuously for 16 years doing spay/neuter/vaccination for over 100,000 dogs will have to be temporarily stopped.
It was shocking! All of our power sources are gone and am communicating with a small battery.
I am sorry I could not get back sooner to you all on this. We survived a terrifying 20 hour storm with winds up to 185 kms. I am terribly depressed at the destruction that has happened to our Shelter 1 and The Kindness Farm. The entire greenery disappeared as all trees have been uprooted and thrown and scattered. The entire dog kennels in the ABC section and the quarantine, special needs and the resident ones have been blown away leaving open to the sky. The transport is affected badly because 90% of all roads are blocked with fallen trees. 90% of all sign boards have been blown away causing immense risk and threat to the lives of everyone on the road as well when fallen on houses.
Our family had a miraculous escape when a seven foot length and 3 feet width sign board with sharp edges and 8 tube lights came tumbling from the sky and fell on our house barely missing us! Tube lights and glass are all over our city.
No water, no power, no proper routes, nothing. Every worker working with us has a story of their house damages however they are still bravely returning to work.
My task is to boost everyone's morale! We are planning our strategy with the help of all we will come back stronger than ever!
Update: Our staff is slowly returning to work, taking care of the most serious cases and providing relief to shocked animals as cleanup continues. Animals are resilient and with everyone's help we have high hopes for all surviving this extremely difficult time.
Street rescues go on. Feeding all the street dogs as they come out of hiding on our usual rounds for them. Three kittens rescued under a bulldozer, traumatized orphaned pups. The list goes on. We are working day and night for the animals.
On Monday when everyone was shocked and on the roads fighting for food we got to the people with variety of vegan meals even though food was very difficult to get. Also distributing blankets to the street people.
We are very grateful for any support! Please donate on our website - or for USA tax-deductible donations please donate via Help Animals India and specify VSPCA.
Pradeep Kumar Nath
Founder/President
Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals (VSPCA)