Animal Rahat Update

June – December 2010

Every day, Animal Rahat makes a difference in the lives of India's "beasts of burden". Here are just a few of the highlights of Animal Rahat's work in the last six months:

Providing Vital Around-the-Clock Emergency Services

To help alleviate working animals' suffering, Animal Rahat initiated an emergency response programme, the only one in the areas it serves. The Animal Rahat team is now on call day and night, all year long, and will travel over often difficult roads and fields to wherever an animal needs emergency veterinary care.

Animal Rahat held meetings in local villages and distributed leaflets to spread the word about this vital new service, and Animal Rahat's veterinarians now receive about 10 emergency calls every day. By starting treatment right away, animals' pain can be relieved quickly, and they have a much better chance of recovering from illnesses and injuries and of getting the rest that they so desperately need.

As news of this programme has spread, Animal Rahat has also started receiving more reports from the public about animals who have been abandoned – often in obvious and excruciating pain – following serious accidents. Many animals can be helped, but when animals cannot be saved, Animal Rahat's veterinarians provide a peaceful release from suffering.

Ram Prasad Update

Animal Rahat continues to assist Ram Prasad, an elephant living in a temple. He was first observed chained by all four legs to a concrete floor 24 hours a day, unable to move more than a few inches in any direction. Animal Rahat is working with the mahout (elephant handler) to improve Ram Prasad's living conditions.

With the help of elephant expert Dr Madhulal, Animal Rahat's veterinarians treated a painful abscess and administered antibiotics to Ram Prasad; they also started a regimen of regular foot baths to treat the ailing elephant's foot rot (caused by standing for long periods of time on concrete). Thanks to a wonderful donor's gift, Animal Rahat's team has placed thick rubber mats in Ram Prasad's enclosure so that he has a softer surface to stand on. Despite their durability and thickness, these mats are wearing out quickly, but they have done a world of good for him. Our vets are also ensuring that Ram Prasad is being given more nutritious food and have provided him with protein supplements, something that had been lacking in his diet.

PETA India's director of veterinary affairs, Dr Manilal Valliyate, recently visited the trustees of the temple, and they have agreed to acquire a plot of land on which a corral can be built to Animal Rahat's specifications to house the elephant. Animal Rahat's team also secured the services of Dr Kalaivanan from Madhumalai, a veterinarian who specialises in treating elephants, to examine Ram Prasad and to treat another aging tusker, Gajraj.

Practising Prevention

One of the most important aspects of Animal Rahat's work is educating cart owners about the benefits of adopting basic, practical measures that can prevent many of the common conditions that afflict working animals. To this end, the Animal Rahat team started a preventative education programme in the town of Solapur to help tackle the problem of ectoparasites, which can not only make the animals desperately uncomfortable by causing skin rashes, lesions, inflammation and other symptoms but also weaken them, making pulling heavy loads even more difficult as the parasites feed on blood and transmit blood protozoan parasites. Providing medications after the fact is not nearly as effective as preventing parasites in the first place, and volunteers were trained in steps to help stop the spread of parasitic infestations.

In the village of Belati, 14 volunteers attended Animal Rahat's ectoparasite campaign orientation programme to learn about Animal Rahat's goals, the basic principles of animal welfare and the importance of preventing diseases. Volunteers then went through the village, helping people keep their animals healthy by cleaning and whitewashing sheds, spraying animals for parasites and collecting faecal samples from thin animals to check for internal parasites that rob their bodies of important nutrients.

Simple Steps Bring Relief

In many communities, it is common practice to trim bullocks' hooves and provide other farrier services by roughly casting the animals down onto any available hard or rough surface – causing the animals much discomfort and distress, bruising and even broken bones. Animal Rahat's veterinarian in Sangli worked with the local community to build a sand bed for the bullocks – a simple but important improvement that will make these procedures more comfortable for the animals and reduce the risk of injury.

Expanding Animal Rahat's Reach

Animal Rahat has expanded services to include Pandharpur, with a four-member team consisting of a veterinarian, two animal welfare assistants and a driver. The Pandharpur team is now providing free aid to bullocks who work in the local sugar mills as well as trapping tonga ponies, other equines and stray dogs in the city.

In October, the district collector and district animal husbandry officer helped Animal Rahat celebrate the opening of its new centre at Pandharpur with an inauguration at the Bhima sugarcane factory.

An Unexpected Rescue

Animal Rahat's veterinarians are sometimes called upon to assist other animals. Deepa, a 1-day-old chick, stayed briefly at Animal Rahat's temporary shelter before she was found a permanent home with a kind vegetarian guardian – and the companionship of another chicken. Chickens are highly social animals, and now that Deepa has another feathered friend, she is thriving.

Continuing Education

Animal Rahat staffers continued their own education during this period so that their work will be the best it can be. The team visited the Donkey Sanctuary Project at Ahmedabad and the Brooke Hospital for Animals in Sharanpur and Meerut to learn additional skills.

Drs Sushmita and Suhas also attended the International Colloquium for Working Equines in Delhi, where they presented information about the benefits of using morkees (face harnesses) to control animals rather than painful nose ropes. They also provided details about welfare issues faced by working bullocks at Chinchali as well as possible solutions. The participation of Drs Sushmita and Suhas helped introduce other animal welfare organisations to Animal Rahat's life-saving work.

Sample Case Studies: Helping the Hurting

Animal Rahat's veterinarians treated Raja, a young bull who had been suffering from indigestion and a cough and was showing signs of facial paralysis. After two days of treatment and observation by Animal Rahat's staffers and three days of at-home follow-up care, Raja recovered completely.

A bullock named Gabaru who was used to transport kerosene in Mumbai is now enjoying a well-deserved retirement at Animal Rahat's holding centre, the Temporary Retired Bullock Home (TRBH) after Animal Rahat provided his guardian with an auto-rickshaw to use instead, courtesy of Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd.

For some animals, the kindest thing anyone can do is provide them with a peaceful, painless release from suffering. Animal Rahat staffers ended the misery of a bullock in the village of Yadrav who was suffering from extremely painful and severe wounds on both knee joints. The team also euthanised a dog who was found lying on the road in Dongaon Village with a broken hip and other injuries after apparently being hit by a vehicle as well as a dog in Degaon who was suffering from a massive head wound that was teeming with maggots.

Making Sugarcane Season Less Bitter for Bullocks

Sugarcane season is especially hard on already overworked bullocks. Animal Rahat stepped up its involvement by appointing veterinarians-in-training to provide extra care and educate bullock owners about the need to balance animals' loads properly, keep carts' tires properly inflated, protect bullocks against yoke gall and lameness and other vital topics. The ambulance used to transport ill and injured animals for care from the Sangli District is also serving as a mobile billboard for messages reminding bullock owners of the importance of caring for their animals, and one sugarcane factory has even given Animal Rahat permission to place educational signs in various locations.

Helping Where It Is Needed Most

Travelling on bicycles, Animal Rahat's veterinarians and animal welfare assistants surveyed the needs of community animals so that they can provide help where it is needed most. Among their findings were the following:

• Horses tend to receive better care than bullocks do, and their guardians are usually more knowledgeable about their animals' needs. Animal Rahat will focus on providing relief to horses who are forced to stand in the scorching sun at tonga stands as well as ensuring that horses who are injured while pulling tongas are properly rehabilitated.
• Bullock owners are usually less aware of the animals' needs and health concerns. Outbreaks of contagious viral and bacterial diseases, lameness and yoke gall are common among bullocks, and owners often tie their bullocks in the hot sun in the market yard area instead of using the sheds that are available. After Animal Rahat representatives explained the need to provide animals with shade, more bullock owners are now using the sheds.
• Few donkey owners take their animals for veterinary care when they become ill or injured. People often attempt to treat their donkeys themselves with remedies that do not help or that exacerbate the problems; many donkeys suffer and die as a result. Donkey owners also frequently tie the animals overnight by their legs, causing serious injuries to the animals' coronary bands. Animal Rahat will focus its donkey relief efforts on providing veterinary care.
• Animal Rahat's team also surveyed five sugarcane factories and identified areas that need immediate intervention. The road leading to one factory is in terrible repair, full of pits and holes, making it even harder for animals to pull heavy loads without injury. Other routes lack drinking water for the animals, and volunteers are preparing watering stations in these areas.

A Visit From Ingrid E Newkirk

In November, PETA India Founder Ingrid E Newkirk visited India and observed Animal Rahat's work at TRBH, in the field and at Pali. Ms Newkirk also accompanied Mr Anthony Lawrence, PETA Germany board member and London designer, and Mr Nigel Otter, our valued board member, to Animal Rahat's centre at Solapur and visited Belati, where Animal Rahat is working on its ectoparasite prevention campaign, as well as the Siddhanath Sugar Mills. Ms Newkirk and Mr Otter visited Sant Damaji sugarcane factory to evaluate animal treatment there and spoke with Mr Vijay S Patil, the factory's managing director, about ways to reduce the stress and pain of the animals who are forced to work on site.

New Rescues Arrive at Animal Rahat's Holding Centre

A donkey foal who was barely 1 month old was rescued from the streets of Miraj and taken to TRBH along with his mother for treatment. The foal, named Chunni Lal by Animal Rahat staff, was suffering from maggot-infested wounds on his thigh and in his ear, which was nearly severed. After having his wounds cleaned and dressed by Animal Rahat's veterinarians, Chunni Lal made a complete recovery. A man who claimed that Chunni Lal belonged to him came to TRBH 20 days later. When staffers asked the man why he did not bother to help the animal when maggots were eating at his ear but is now trying to claim him after he has been nearly healed, the man hung his head in shame. Animal Rahat staffers will visit the man's house to see how he keeps his other donkeys and will make a decision about whether to return Chunni Lal to him based on the condition of his other animals.

Animal Rahat received a call from Miraj about a donkey who was struggling to give birth. Upon reaching the site, Animal Rahat staff discovered that a milkman had cut open the donkey's delivery canal – without giving the animal any anaesthesia. Her foal was dead, and Animal Rahat staffers had a gaping wound to stitch. Staffers took the donkey, Sugna Bai, to TRBH, where they gave her a tetanus vaccination, antibiotics and painkillers and dressed her wound. Thanks to Animal Rahat's intensive care, Sugna Bai's wound has healed.

Fear-Free, Pain-Free and Stress-Free Treatment

Under the expert guidance of Dr Manilal, Animal Rahat has embarked on efforts to show that treatments do not have to involve fear, stress and even more pain for these animals. Sadly, this is a new concept for most Indian veterinarians, as they traditionally try to control bullocks through intimidation and by inflicting pain, crudely and roughly tying them down, yanking painfully on their nose ropes and horns and shouting at them. Animal Rahat has begun the work necessary to change these cruel and outdated practices and establish a humane protocol for treatment. By sedating cattle, Animal Rahat has been able to eliminate the need to physically cast and tie down the animals during procedures, making treatments safer and less stressful for everyone involved.

Providing Paid Rest

Rest and quiet are often what injured and ill bullocks need the most, but many people simply can't afford to give their animals any time off work whatsoever.

A bullock named Pawalya, who worked in the Vasant Dada sugarcane factory and was suffering from a horn injury, is one recipient of aid from this important programme. After discussion with Pawalya's guardian, Animal Rahat built a temporary shelter so the bullock could rest out of the hot sun while he recovered.

Another bullock, Hirya, worked in the Karandwadi sugarcane factory and fractured his metacarpal bone. Animal Rahat provided concentrate feed for 20 days and made arrangements to build a temporary shed so that Hirya could rest and did not have to sit in the burning sun all day.

A bullock named Raja had his horn torn off while he was labouring in a sugarcane mill, and he would have likely been sold for slaughter if he hadn't received treatment. Now, Raja is resting and healing at TRBH instead of enduring a painful injury while carrying a heavy yoke.

Educational Efforts

In Solapur, the team invited all horse guardians to a meeting. At the meeting, several Solapur residents who are knowledgeable about horses volunteered to work as an Aswamitra (equine friend). After being trained in horse first aid by Animal Rahat's veterinarians, the Aswamitra is now helping to provide primary treatment to horses in Solapur and improve the animals' quality of life.

The Solapur team is also working to promote the use of morkees (comfortable harnesses that are worn on a bullock's face) instead of cruel nose ropes that tear the septum and keep the bull in constant distress with every order to move or turn. The team held community meetings in all the villages it serves and at two sugarcane mills to educate bullock owners about the advantages of using morkees. Many bullock guardians seem motivated to switch to morkees after learning how nose ropes cause immense suffering to bullocks.

In Sangli, the team worked with the management of Karandwadi sugarcane factory to improve the building where Animal Rahat's ambulance takes ill and injured animals for treatment. Previously, the area was full of mud and garbage and had no lighting, creating a health and safety hazard. The facility is now clean and repaired, and it has electricity. The team also confiscated a number of custom whips, asked people not to beat bullocks and removed barbed wire put on the sides of carts to prevent bullocks from running away from their loads.

In Pandharpur, the team worked to ensure that Animal Rahat's emergency helpline numbers are prominently displayed everywhere animals gather and in sugar factories. Since then, the team has received two or three calls a day.

Other outreach activities included arranging a Tingya film show for residents of Belati, placing educational posters throughout villages and near sugar factories, participating in a vaccination camp arranged by government officials and painting Animal Rahat's emergency service number and scheduled extension activities on walls throughout the villages serviced.

It is extremely gratifying that through our education and awareness programmes, we are able to provide rest for retired animals, help alleviate the suffering of the thousands of those who are still working and prevent many of the problems that plague them. Animal Rahat sponsors make all this possible.

If you are a supporter, thank you! If you would like to be part of this vital work, please join us.