Courtesy Bangalore Mirror:BBMP runs after dogs at night

BBMP runs after dogs at night

Courtesy: Bangalore Mirror.

Tired of protesting residents, dog-catchers will now hunt strays for sterilisation when people are asleep.

If you’re the kind who can’t get sleep when street dogs bark, your life is about to get worse with louder howls, yelps and growls.

BBMP is planning a midnight assault to catch and sterilise stray dogs because residents hamper their efforts during the day.

Mayor S K Nataraj said, “Normally, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) personnel work during the day, but dog-catching becomes tough as dog-lovers unnecessarily argue with our men and do not allow them to catch the dogs. They resist even when they are told that dogs will only be sterilised and not culled. That is why we are thinking of catching stray dogs at night when people are asleep.”

According to a conservative estimate by the BBMP, there are about 2.5 lakh stray dogs in the city and a majority needs sterilisation and vaccination for rabies.

There have been several instances of dog attacks on people, the last major case being that of four-year-old Geetha who was attacked while playing near her residence in Chandra Layout a few weeks ago.

Job will get easier

BBMP officials expect the midnight operation to be easy for other reasons as well. Dr Parvez Ahmad Piran, BBMP joint director (animal husbandry), told Bangalore Mirror, “At night, there will be less traffic on the roads and dogs will not be able to hide under lorries and other vehicles to escape the dog-catchers. Also, dogs congregate at one place at night.”

Two Non Governmental Organisations from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are interested in tackling the dog menace.

The file is before the BBMP finance committee for approval. Tenders will be awarded after discussions in the Council.

Other measures

The BBMP also plans to increase Animal Birth Control (ABC) initiatives in old CMC areas which are now a part of greater Bangalore. The BBMP earmarks crores of rupees to sterilise stray dogs but funds are not used satisfactorily. Last year, 2,909 cases of stray dog bites were reported in the city. There were more than 9,600 cases in 2008 and more than 500 cases in the last seven months.

Residents resist even when they are told that dogs will only be sterilised, not culled
S K Nataraj mayor, BBMP

fb website:The Ark-One Life Together(Caring for Animals)

Please have a look at our Facebook website: The Ark-One Life Together (Caring for Animals):

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=119410614772231

ABC (Animal Birth Control Camp) on Sunday, 08th Aug in B'lore

Dear All

We all know about the mounting complaints re the stray dog population in India/B'lore. Though various NGO's are trying to work on this situation by sterilizing/neutering the dogs in areas assigned to them by the BBMP, there's still a lot more which can be done.

Henceforth, a group of like minded friends got together, deciding to organize on an individual basis, their own ABC camp. The camp was a huge success. It was even aired on the local Kannada TV channel!

Encouraged by the positive response, my friends & I are organizing another ABC camp on Sunday, 08th Aug. The location will be again at Suncity-Ibblur Village/Outer ring road in Bangalore. This is an area where a lot of stray dogs are still not sterilized/neutered & consequently attracting the discontent of local residents.

This time, we would like to combine the ABC camp with an awareness campaign focused on stray dogs. We would like to help local residents understand why there are stray dogs in a first place, what the most effective way there is to keep their population at bay, how to deal & approach stray dogs & foremost how to help & support creating an environment in which stray dogs & local residents can live peacefully together. We do believe that through 'education', people's attitude will/can change.

In the future we're planning to organize other ABC camps in other areas of B'lore where there's an urgent need. This is only the beginning....

This is an entirely private initiative, not sponsored/supported by any NGO nor the BBMP. Hence, we would be most grateful for any kind of help! To sterilize/neuter one dog would cost about 1000INR. Sponsoring a dog's operation, would be a tremendous contribution you can do! But we would also be very happy & grateful if you would like to contribute in another way, i.eg. sponsoring food for the animals, help us sponsor leaflets, banners, volunteering at the camp etc. Anyway, as little as it may seem to you, as much it will be for us! No matter what the amount, no matter what kind of help, everything is most appreciated! Even helping us spreading the word about our cause, is already of great help!

We do believe that by joining hands & taking action together, we can make a difference for animals & people alike.

If you want to help and/or for further questions, pls get in touch with me!

Thanks for your valuable & highly appreciated support & help:-)

Cheers,

Yasmine D. Polomski

(yasminedpolomski@live.com/966 3700 264)

Courtesy Manu Aiyappa:Bangalore to get a Pet Crematorium!

Bangalore to get pet crematorium

Courtesy: MANU AIYAPPA, TNN, Jul 24, 2010, 01.30am IST

BANGALORE: It's heartbreaking to lose your pet but doubly so when you can't give it a decent farewell. But Bangaloreans can take heart that the city will soon have an animal crematorium.

BBMP officials said plans for this crematorium, also the first in south India, had been finalised and a 5-acre plot identified at Jalahalli Medi Agrahara. "The project is in the final stage and we hope to complete the process within 15 days," said A K Gopalswamy, engineer-in-chief, BBMP.

Initially meant for the disposal of carcasses of stray dogs or those suspected to have died of rabies, civic authorities now plan to let pet and livestock owners use it too. Currently, such a facility is available only in Mumbai and New Delhi.

The project was originally mooted to tackle garbage issues linked to animal carcasses. Bangalore has no scientific way for disposal of pets, and other stray animals which die in road accidents, of rabies and other diseases.

Dead pets are normally disposed of at sanitary landfill sites while a few are left in distant dump yards.

The new facility will also prevent the spread of dangerous diseases through viruses in dead animals and stem underground water pollution due to the burial of animals.

After consulting environmental experts, BBMP submitted a Detailed Project Report (DPR) to the state government. The government gave its nod and paved the way for the BBMP to invite tenders. The facility should be ready by October.

According to the DPR, the cremation facilities will cost approximately Rs 2.5 crore. About 15-20 animals can be cremated every day for a fee ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 1000. Two trained personnel will man it. The BBMP also plans to have dedicated veterinary doctors to conduct a post mortem on animals which die under mysterious circumstances.

Environmentalist S Girish said: "Electric cremation is the best way of disposal as it is pollution-free and it also destroys germs and viruses in the body, if the animal has died due to an infectious disease."

Donations &Volunteers for ABC camp on 08th Aug in Suncity (B'lore)

Dear All

My friends & I are organizing an ABC camp combined with an awareness campaign at Suncity apartments in B'lore on 08th Aug 2010.

If you would like to contribute in any way, either by donating and/or by helping us as volunteer at the ABC camp, please get in touch with me:yasminedpolomski@live.com/966 3700 264.

Location: Flat 107, block 6, Celebration building, Suncity apartments/Outer Ring road, Ibblur Village 560102.

Date: 08th Aug 2010

Starting time: 7am

Contact: Yasmine D. Polomski (yasminedpolomski@live.com/966 3700 264)

Needing urgently a new loving home for Shadow in B'lore

Dear All

Pls help me spreading the word & finding a new home for this 6 month old lovely Labrador cross mix. His name is Shadow. Shadow gets along well with children & loves to play with other dogs. He's a wonderful companion for life! Sadly his present owner will leave in a month's time. Hence, we need to find urgently a new home for this lovely fellow.

If you're interested and/or know someone who would like to adopt a dog, pls get in touch with either Mr Avish (avishreddy@gmail.com/9901365907) and/or myself (yasminedpolomski@live.com).

Thanks for your precious help:-)!

Cheers,

Yasmine

Courtesy AAPN: Emergency call for vets on cats

Courtesy AAPN: Emergency call for vets on cats

http://www.actasia.org/index/uploads/images/Newsletter/muddy2.jpg

STRAY ANIMALS REALLY NEED YOUR HELP … and it’s urgent.

This tiny kitten - ‘Trashy’ – struggled to survive on a rubbish dump in
Shenzhen, China. Emaciated, terrified and covered with fleas, she searched
for scraps of food. Our local partner group found the poor creature and took
her to a clinic to be treated and neutered. After recovery, a loving foster
home was found for her.

Sadly, there are hundreds of thousands of stray cats in China who are less
fortunate. In Beijing alone there are 20,000 living in truly awful
conditions on the streets. Usually these cats are abandoned pets. They are
often sick, get injured in traffic accidents and are even killed by the
government in the most inhumane way.

More spays, less strays

Luckily the number of cat rescue groups in China is growing. Their aim is
for a structural and animal friendly solution to the stray problem by
setting up neutering programmes. For this to be effective, the cooperation
of veterinarians is essential. Vets set an important example in the way
animals are treated and promote the acceptance of neutering amongst the
public. They need to learn advanced surgical skills and medical and ethical
principles to apply to their daily practice – for the benefit of animal
welfare.

http://www.actasia.org/index/uploads/images/Newsletter/cattip2.jpg

So, in 2009, we started a training programme for animal-friendly vets.
Together with experienced members of Australia’s ‘Vets Beyond Borders’ we
trained 28 vets and their assistants in Beijing and Shenzhen. The results
were fantastic - the number of neutering operations in participating vet
clinics has increased by over 60% and the number of clinics that provide
free neutering has increased by 40%. Vets reported fewer complications and
quicker recovery of animals thanks to the use of painkillers and reduced
peri-operative stress. Vet associations and the Ministry of Agriculture in
Beijing have asked us to expand our training this year. A new, unique
feature is to ‘train the trainers’ for greater impact across China. We don’t
want to let the strays down now we’ve come so far, so we’re asking for your
help.

Time for the “inconvenient truth” …we just can’t do it without you.

It’s simple – we need 1000 people to donate €5 each.

Then – we can make it happen.

Click here to be one of the 1000:
http://www.actasia.org/index/index.php?page=get-involved

Please forward this message to as many people as you can – the more people we can reach, the more animals we can help.

Thank you,

Pei F. Su
Executive Director
ACTAsia for Animals

FIAPO & HSI's: Farmed Animals in India workshop in H'bad: Sunday, 27th June

Dear Friends, FIAPO and HSI's "Farmed Animals in India" workshop is landing in Hyderabad on Sunday, June 27th. We're thrilled to have the AWBI co-hosting the workshop, along with 10 other organisations! Please pass along the invitation (below and attached) to activists, friends, and family in Hyderabad. Thanks! Claire The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations Invites You: Animal Farming in India: A Workshop on Global Warming World Hunger Animal Suffering Human Health Sunday, 27 June, 2010 Hyderabad Sponsored by: Humane Society International Co-hosted by: Animal Welfare Board of India Blue Cross of Hyderabad Foundation for Animals People for Animals Hyderabad & Secunderabad Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals Karuna Society for Animals and Nature International Animal & Birds Welfare Society Bharatiya Prani Mitra Sangh Jeeva Raksha Animal Welfare Society Indian Institute of Jeevakarunyam & Research Shri Raghavendra Pashu Samrakshana Sangham Karimnagar Animal Kindness Association The Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations and Humane Society International with support from Blue Cross of India, Chennai, are conducting a workshop to explore the effect of factory farming on Indian animals, on global warming, world hunger and on human health. The workshop is a unique opportunity for animal protectors to learn more about the fundamental issues affecting billions of animals raised for milk, eggs and meat in India. Why Farmed Animals? The food and fiber sector (the dairy, poultry meat and eggs, and leather industry) abuses more animals than any other animal-based industry. With changing lifestyles there is increased demand for animal products, especially in metro cities. This is changing the nature of animal agriculture towards industrial production, known as “factory farming”, which is far more exploitative of animals, harmful for the environment and inequitable for poor communities. The workshop in Hyderabad is part of a series which will continue on to Chennai, Kolkata, and possibly Goa during the next six months. Similar workshops were held in Mumbai in March 2009, Bangalore in August 2009, and in Delhi in April 2010. DATE: Sunday, 27 June, 2010 TIME: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. VENUE: Jain Seva Sangh Bhavan Ramkote Eden Bagh Hyderabad- 500001 Nearest Bus-stop: Koti Participants can board city bus until Koti and then hire an auto to travel to the Venue. Venue contact number: 040-24751188 In case of enquiry, please call Sriram at 9703616175. Vegan lunch and refreshments will be provided. oooooooooo--------------------------------------------------------------------------------oooooooooo REGISTRATION To attend, please RSVP with the following details to claire.abrams@indiananimalsfederation.org · Your Name · Contact details, including address, telephone number(s), email address Would you be representing an organization? If so please provide the name and contact details Note: Registration fee is Rs. 150 to be paid at registration The workshop will be held in English Your attendance will not be confirmed without an RSVP by e-mail to claire.abrams@indiananimalsfederation.org Workshop Schedule June 27, 2010 10.00 – 10.20 Registration 10.20 - 10.30 Welcome; why we have gathered here today, what we hope to accomplish 10.30 - 10.45 Introduction to the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations; How you can be involved 10.45 - 11.30 Participants introduce themselves 11.30 – 11.45 Tea break Refreshments will be served throughout the day 11.45 – 12.15 Status of Farmed Animals in India: an overview - The shift from small rural farming to industrial animal agriculture… why is it happening? - What is industrial (intensive) animal agriculture? What does it mean for the animals? - Meat, milk, egg consumption trends in India - How government subsidies/promotion, technology, and large-scale production makes consuming meat, milk and eggs cheap - National and state laws on animal farming and their welfare implications - Animal agriculture technologies that assist intensive animal farming and their impact on animal welfare 12.15 - 12.30 Dairy Video Screening 12.30 - 12.45 Poultry Video Screening 12.45 – 1.00 Group discussion 1.00 – 1:45 Lunch 1:45 – 2.15 Animal Agriculture and Global Warming -What is climate change and global warming? How does it happen? - How does intensive animal agriculture effect climate change and the environment? - Pollution, waste of resources, environmental damage: A step-by-step journey from field, to factory farm, to consumers’ dinner table 2.15 – 2:30 Group discussion 2:30 – 3:00 Human Health - Is a vegetarian / vegan plant-based diet healthy? - Health hazards from eating animal based diets. 3:00 – 3:15 Tea break 3.15 – 3:45 World Hunger - How are India’s poor communities affected by the increase of intensive animal agriculture? - Malnutrition in India - Why is raising animals for meat/milk/eggs such an inefficient use of resources (water/land/energy)? - Climate Change and its impact on world hunger - How may increased intensive farming affect world hunger by the year 2050? - Industrial animal agriculture against the rural farmed: is intensive animal agriculture really helping the rural farmer? 3.45 – 4.30 Group discussion and closure

Courtesy FIAPO: Outrageous article re pet shops in the Hindu (29th May 10)

Courtesy FIAPO: Outrageous article re Pet Shops in the Hindu (29th May 2010):

http://www.thehindu.com/2010/05/29/stories/2010052951481300.htm

Dear all

The backlash has begun. Please see this article published in the Hindu on 29 May 2010. I am sorry, I came to know of this just now. The writer rubbishes the Draft Pet Shop Rules 2010 by saying absurd things like ‘why should pets have better facilities than what most humans in this country cannot afford’? He attributes extraneous motives to the rules and says they have inspired by militant NGOs (I wish we were!). It calls for a strong response from all of us aeven if we are late. Please write to the editor of the newspaper to express our collective outrage at this silly piece. The email id is letters@thehindu.co.in The newspapers requires all letters to carry the full name and postal address of the person writing.

And the author has his email id at the end and you might also want to write to him. I wouldn’t be surprised if he himself owns one of those hell-hole pet shops in Shivajinagar in Bangalore!

I hope many of us will write in.

Regards,

Gopi Shankar

Licence Raj for pet-keeping

Syed Umar Farooq, The Hindu, 29 May 2010

The draft Rules, aside from being unreasonable and absurd, contain much scope for

mischief against pet lovers and the pets themselves.

If you thought that the Licence Raj was a thing of the past, then think again. It is set to

return — for your pets, your beloved dog, cat, bird, fish, guinea pig, and what not.

The Pet Shop Rules 2010 pushed by some militant NGOs and proposed by the Union

Ministry of Environment and Forests ostensibly seek to regulate the trade of pets

across the length and breadth of India. But they fail signally in their stated purpose

and have meandered into other realms in ways that are most unreasonable and even

absurd in the Indian context.

Under the Draft Pet Shop Rules 2010, the central government proposes to rein in and

regulate privately operating individuals, pet owners and pet shops, requiring them to

obtain a licence to keep, breed, and sell pets. These rules in draft form have been

published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, as required under sub-section (1) of

section 38 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, calling for objections

and suggestions from all persons likely to be affected.

Ensuring decent standards of food, shelter, and care for pet animals and birds in shops

is of course a laudable idea but there is much mischief lurking in this attempt at

regulation. Although titled Pet Shop Rules, the proposed new regime will require that

every person concerned with the handling of pets from birth to sale or death be

embroiled in the process of licensing. In fact, careful scrutiny of the Pet Shop Rules

2010 suggests they might as well be titled ‘Abolition of Pets Rules 2010.'

Courtesy Kc Dog blog: Why people adopt pets vs buy & vice versa-Research from PetSmart Charities

Courtesy Kc dog blog:

Why people adopt pets vs buy, & vice versa - Research from PetSmart Charities

by Kc dog blog on Wednesday June 09, 2010.

This research isn't necessarily new -- but I hadn't seen the entire research study before and wanted to share.

Last year, PetSmart Charities did some research with Ipsos Marketing Research (they are a top marketing research firm) asking people why they choose to adopt vs buy -- and why they bought pets vs adopted.

The findings are interesting -- and reading the entire 52 page report is well worth your time (and thanks PetSmart Charities for making this available to the public).

Before I get into a few of the findings that I found interesting, let me note that there is always a bit of a caveat when it comes to this type of research. People don't always do what they say they will do, and often make very emotional decisions and then try to rationalize why they made the decisions they do. So take these numbers as guideance...not as some written-in-stone rules.

* People, in general, are fairly aware of the social issue of "overpopulation of dogs/cats" - with 29% noting familiarity with the issue (3rd on their list behind only global warming and teen pregnancy). However, people's level of concern for it was quite low (35%) vs the other social issues measured. However, there was a wide discrepency between pet owners (50%) and non-owners (21%) on caring about the issue.

* About 35% of pets have not been spayed or neutered. Of that group, 75% are considering altering their pet. 26% aquired their pet already altered. People who live in the South seem less likely to have altered their pet.

* 13% of dog owners and 19% of cat owners note that had ever had a litter of puppies or kittens. In 53/54% of the cases the litter was accidental.

* 25% of all people got their pet from a family member. 24% from an adoption organization or shelter. 19% picked up a stray (more common for cats than dogs) and 12% from a purebred breeder (much higher among dogs than cats). Only 8% of people say they got their pets from a pet store. Pet stores (and the commercial breeders that got the dogs there) are a much smaller share of the pets out there than I think most would expect.

* The vast majority of people wildly underestimate the number of animals euthanized in shelters annually -- with only 14% of people guessing more than 4 million and the rest guessing lower -- often by a wide margin.

* The reasons people don't adopt vary wildly - most say it's because they were looking for a purebred animal (13%) or a particular type that they couldn't find in the shelter (17%). 10% did not know much about pet adoption and 10% said the adoption process was too dificult. 7% said the shelter was too depressing and 6% said the hours weren't convenient for them. That's 23% of people who did not adopt a pet because of various, very fixable, problems with the adoption process.

* The most common reasons people got pets from purebred breeders were a desire for a specific breed and wanted the pet's health history to be known. People bought from pet stores because they could get everything they needed in one place (44%) and it was more convenient (31%).

* There are many key motivators for pet adoptions, including Saving a life (73%), can be some of the best companion animals (71%), millions of homeless pets euthanized every year (68%), euthanasia the #1 killer of healthy pets in the US (67%), etc.

* Overall, adoption organizations and shelters have very good reputations compared to other sources for pets. However, local animal controls have very negative perceptions on how the animals are cared for and the health of the animals. Puppy mills and pet stores are generallly seen negatively by the public.

* Adoption organizations and shelters are generally seen as positive places, however, 40% of people note that they have limited hours, 16% say they are depresing and 10% say animals are often unhealthy/sick. 98% of people who recently aquired a dog or cat from a shelter said they would recommend that shelter to a friend.

* The top 4 reasons people say they have not spayed/neuter their pets: Pet is too young (34%), Too expensive (31%), haven't gotten around to it (24%) and did not feel it was necessary because the pet is confined to the home (14%). Too expensive scored much lower in the west than in other geographies -- likely due to well-developed low-cost spay/neuter programs in those areas.

*89% of people said they would definitely/probably consider altering their future dog or cat. Only 3% said they probably would not consider it.

*Only 62% fo people are aware of low cost spay/neuter clinics in their area. This is highest in the west and South, and lowest in the Midwest. Overall, over half of the people surveyed have reservations about the safety, cleanliness and care animals would receive at low cost spay/neuter clinics.

* The top reasons people said they altered their dogs or cats include: It's the right thing to do (69%), To prevent unwanted pets (68%), to keep pet from reproducing (67%), reduce pet overpopulation (62%). These are rank way above health or behavioral benefits.

* Only 19% of the populatoin is aware of Petfinder - -seems like a huge mis-opportunity.

* 26% of those surveyed feel PETA as an organization is unnecessary. And only 16% of people say they see a lot of positive news stories about PETA. I think people are finally starting to catch on.

Tomorrow I'll note some thoughst and "next steps" for the animal welfare community based on this research.

Courtesy Deccan Herald: For the love of dogs (070610)

Courtesy Deccan Herald: For the love of dogs (Monday,07th June 10)

For the love of dogs

In a society that is largely insensitive towards its animals, it is always heartening to meet people like Chinni Krishna, an industrialist and committed animal rights activist, says Hema Vijay

Shyama, Tripod, Bhairava, Dr Moosa and 12 others rush to me when the gates are opened. These 16 dogs leap all over the place and raise a symphony of barks. My heart skips a beat, and my legs refuse to move, though Chinny Krishna and wife Nanditha are inviting me into their beautiful heritage home, set in a sprawling, tree-lined compound in the heart of the city. Apparently, this boisterous bunch of dogs is just giving me a warm welcome. “It is like how we greet a stranger and voice our ‘hellos’ and ‘how do you dos’. Only, they are much more exuberant and warm than us, and we don’t understand their barks,” Chinny says. Phew! Likewise, at Aspick Engineering — Chinny’s firm which manufactures special purpose machines for the Departments of Atomic Energy and Space Research as well as for many large corporations in India and abroad — you’ll find over a dozen dogs relaxing in the MD’s cabin and outside, with meals (porridge in bowls) home-delivered to them, or in this case, office-delivered to them. A dog is only as good as its owner, Chinny Krishna, industrialist, animal lover and chairman of Blue Cross of India, says. “It all depends on how they have been treated. If they have been given affection and friendship, they are friendly and give affection; if they have been shouted at and hit, they tend to attack too,” he sums up. Well Chinny’s bunch of dogs must have received a lot of affection and good vibes, seeing that they all settle down after their initial exuberance; they wander away and come back every now and then to rub their noses on my legs. One of them even settles down near my feet. Each of these mongrels has a story to tell. Tripod (so named because he has three legs, one leg had to be amputated) for instance, was dragged by the wheels of a motorbike, rescued and put up for adoption at the Blue Cross. When nobody came forward to adopt her, Chinny simply brought her home. Daisy, the tall Harlequin Great Dane is a show dog bought for Rs 50, 000 and promptly abandoned by her owners when they discovered that she had a crooked gait. “They didn’t even want to wait until I could find a new home for her. What kind of people are we?” Chinny recalls with obvious distaste. Well, all these dogs are now happy at home – at Chinny’s. Chinny loves dogs, especially Indian mongrels (which we see roaming in the streets and which many of us love to hate). The Indian mongrel has it all, Chinny vouches. It has the intelligence of a Poodle, the loyalty of a Lassie, the bark of a Shepherd, the heart of a St Bernard, the spots of a Dalmatian, size of a Schnauzer and the speed of a Greyhound. If you want all these attributes in one pet, adopt an Indian mongrel, he recommends. Obviously, this man loves dogs. But Chinny’s purview extends beyond passion. There is a practical side to it. Through the Animal Birth Control Program pioneered by the Blue Cross of India (which he incidentally co-founded with others in 1964 when he was a teenager), cities like Chennai are now rabies-free. Going beyond passion “When we started ABC in 1966, we were laughed at,” he recalls. But Chinny and his friends persisted and began to spay/neuter all street dogs rescued by the Blue Cross. After treatment, the dogs were vaccinated and released at the same spot they had been picked up from. In 1995, the Chennai corporation finally came around and agreed to try out ABC, but with a rider, that the total cost of the programme was to be met by the Blue Cross. Blue Cross stuck to it and within six months, the results were promising, prompting the city corporation to bring more of the city under the ABC program. Chinny has many other successful doggy ideas up his sleeve. He got Blue Cross to link up with the Dr Dog program run by Animals Asia Foundation and now, dogs like Dr Moosa have been easing away the unexpressed strain and pain of many a special child. “Being with dogs is the best therapy in the world. They give such unconditional, open affection,” he says. Chinny has also tried to talk to Moulvis and others to get them to do away with the sacrificing of goats for Bakr Eid; he has successfully campaigned to stop caging of parrots in the Madurai Meenakshi temple. He developed ‘Compufrog’, an interactive software programme that mimics dissection of animals in schools. Dr Chinny even distributes Compufrog free of cost. Because of Blue Cross’s dogged lobbying, the Indian government finally decided to ban the export of frogs’ legs from India and also ruled in favour of banning dissection at the school level. And it is clearly not a case of preaching sans practice. Chinny is a vegetarian, doesn’t use leather, and had even requested wife-to-be Nanditha to forego silk saris just before their wedding. As professor at IIT Madras, Chinny had lived by the dictum, “You can’t teach; you can only facilitate learning.” That’s right, this multifaceted man is a techno-industrialist who obtained his B Tech and M Tech. Degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Madras and followed it up with an MS and PhD in Management from the USA. He also happens to be an elected Life Fellow of the Institution of Engineers and the Indian Institution of Chemical Engineers. Chinny rues the fact that as a society, we behave so callously with animals. “Every child has a great affection for dogs and all life in general, until we adults kill it,” Chinny says. The fact only gets reaffirmed when you see that at the Blue Cross center in Velacherry, Chennai, kids like Arpitha Rao and Tarinya Shekar happily clean puppy kennels during their holidays. In fact, most of the non-technical staff at animal care centres like Blue Cross happens to be volunteers who pitch in and help with their money and time — all for their love for animals. When Chinny and others founded Blue Cross, the aim was to make the blue cross concept redundant — to see the emergence of a society where animals didn’t need this kind of a shelter. “Now I’m wiser. I’d just like to see Blue Cross become self-sufficient.”

An Authentic Horse Whisperer

Cat Adopts Baby Squirrels

The amazing friendship of the tortoise and the hippo

Unusual Animal Friends

Christian The Lion Full Reunion Ending HQ

Courtesy PAWS: Annual report

Courtesy PAWS: Check out on PAWS Annual Report

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/showstory.aspx?queryed=37&querypage=3&boxid=30851228&parentid=117846&eddate=Jun%20%205%202010%2012:00AM

Daily News & Analysis

Saturday, June 05, 2010

PAWS rescued 2,402 animals in 2009
DNA Correspondent

Close to 466 dogs and 463 snakes were rescued by Plant and Animals Welfare
Society (Paws), Dombivli in the year 2009. They were a part of 2,402 animals
rescued by the organisation, mainly from Thane district in the year 2009.
Rescue operations were mainly carried out by Nilesh Bhanage, founder of Paws
- Dombivli, along with the volunteers.
Bhanage revealed this fact in the annual report of the NGO which has been
involved in rescue of animals and birds. Among domesticated animals, Paws
rescued 466 dogs, 129 puppies, 29 cats and 14 kittens.
A large number of snakes are traced in Thane district in huge number due to
a good proportion of green cover in the region. As a result of this 463
snakes were rescued from Thane district last year.
The organisation provides veterinary services to birds and animals in
distress. Almost 873 animals and birds were provided veterinary help and
were also vaccinated during the health camps organised by the organisation.
“Our primary aim is to provide the best possible help to animals and birds
in distress and to work for their welfare always,” said Bhanage

Nilesh Bhanage
+91 9920777536
www.pawsasia.org
www.freewebs.com/pawsproducts
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HigxbMqfh0

Please help financing a prosthetic leg for a disabled donkey in India/Bangalore!

Dear Animal lovers:-)

I would be thrilled if anyone would be willing to help me in getting a prosthetic leg for a disabled donkey who is living in India/Bangalore. I've found someone located in Vienna who would be able to get the donkey-her name is Nancy- a prosthetic leg manufactured. However, the price including shipping to India would be $700.

If you feel you would like to help me in helping Nancy, please contact me at:yasminedpolomski@live.com.

I would be soo happy if we could this make work. Thanks a million:-)

Yasmine D. Polomski

Courtesy FIAPO: Help save Trees-Join the Green-Team Campaign

Courtesy FIAPO: Help save Trees-Join the Green-Team Campaing!

Dear Friends,

Today, on World Environment Day – Angel Eyes is proud to launch THE GREEN-TEAM CAMPAIGN.

This is where we share notes and exchange thoughts on how we can all do our little bit to help save our environment. As we know well by now, widespread de-forestation (owing to commercial development) is destroying our earth’s environment by the day. Meanwhile, lacs and lacs of animals and birds are losing not only their homes, but also their lives, as a result of their depleting natural habitat.

NOW is the time for you to ACT. And yes, there is much that you can do at your own individual level…!

Here are some simple ways how you can kick-start your campaign to join THEGREEN TEAM.

1. While printing documents in office/school/college, always print on the flipside of a used A4 sheet.

2. Plastic/polythene bags are of course a big no-no. As a replacement, use jute bags, instead of cotton bags. Jute is bio-degradable, relatively cheap to buy and jute crops require little water.

3. Help make wedding-invitation cards an old-school concept. Send online invites to all internet-savvy people on your guest list. For others, have your wedding invitations made from recycled paper. (also, replace paper greeting cards with online e-cards).

4. Introduce pens or pen-pencils to school kids at an early age to help reduce the number of wooden pencils manufactured. Why must we wait up till class 5?

5. Re-use/re-cycle envelopes. Collect all the envelopes you receive in your letter boxes/couriers. When you need to send out a post, simply pick out an old one, strike out and replace the address previously mentioned on it and just send it out. Don’t worry…it will reach its correct destination.

6. Carry hand-towels and handkerchiefs with you in your bag at all times. Avoid usingtissue paper. Wash your hands after a meal at a restaurant, rather than calling for extra tissue paper.

7. If you run a company/business, make use of online/internet advertising and promotion. Then there are bulk sms facilities now available for publicity purposes. So avoid the printing of posters/pamphlets/brochures – most of which simply go into the bin. And if you must, use ‘Wood-free Recycled Paper.’

8. Avoid purchasing decoration pieces made from wood. And the next time you go to pick a new piece of furniture, check out the many easily-available alternatives to wooden furniture.

9. Youngsters – avoid wooden accessories/jewelry.

10. Never spill and waste dirty or unfit-to-drink water. A nearby tree or a plant will be thankful to get some.

11. Renovating your house? Do not opt for wooden flooring or wooden paneling on your walls. There are several other equally attractive options available in the market.

12. Teachers – let’s do away with those ‘margins’ in the notebooks.

13. Pay all your bills online – a great way to save paper.

14. A large number of families do not read the newspapers/magazines that are delivered at their door steps. Unsubscribe!!

15. Take down notes, scribble thoughts and jot down your 'to-do list' for the day on the back side of used paper. You can also make use of empty spaces on pamphlets/catalogues that you receive with your newspaper and in your letter boxes. Otherwise, there is always your computer notepad or the organizer in your mobile phone!

16. Adopt a tree. Plant a tree in a nearby park, garden or land. Nourish it well. Don’t forget to keep a water-filled clay-pot next to it for the animals and birds to drink water from.

HELP SPREAD THE MESSAGE OF THE 'GREEN-TEAM CAMPAIGN' !!!

CIRCULATE THIS EMAIL FAR AND WIDE.

ANGEL EYES ANIMAL WELFARE FOUNDATION
New Delhi
www.angeleyes.in
www.angeleyespetadoption.blogspot.com