IDA Round Up September 2009

Animal Ambulance Service Continues
The animal ambulance service at night started from Deonar on a trial basis continues and is giving a good response.

Bullock at Karjat treated by Dr. P. M. Bhosale
A stray bullock at Karjat was sitting, his one hind leg was tied with a rope so tightly that due to continuous pressure, the nylon rope had penetrated into his leg muscle and caused a wound, which was infested with maggots. The poor bullock went grazing daily with this wound and returned in the evening, and his wound bled continuously but no one cared. The doctor immediately cut the rope, washed the wound with normal saline and placed a cotton soaked with turpentine for the maggots. He treated him with antibiotics and analgesics and applied ointment Lorexane for 3-4 days.  The wound started healing and now he has completely recovered.

Horse with 4 to 5 cm nail in leg treated by Dr. P. M. Bhosale
A horse from Matheran was showing acute lameness. On examination the doctor found a 4 to 5 cm nail had penetrated into the right hind leg. After removing the nail there was profuse bleeding as it had penetrated into Laminae. The doctor washed the wound with povidine iodine solution, injected Tetanus toxid, gave non-steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs, higher antibiotics to prevent canker and advised rest. After 9 days the foot was of normal size and he was putting it on the ground, but lameness was still there. Due to long treatment and continuous follow up, there was no complication.

Horse collided with Police Jeep is treated by Dr.Amit Sharma
A horse met with an accident with a police jeep. He sustained deep injuries lacerating muscles and bleeding profusely. The passerby were shouting at police as well as the handler for accident. . The doctor ligated the bleeding veins but the wound was deep, so he decided to hospitalize the horse and operated him under sedation, which got over by 2.00 am. The horse stayed there for 3 weeks and returned back to his guardian after complete recovery.  

Sustainable animal welfare can be achieved by participation of animal guardians
As demonstrated by Dr.Amit Sharma. He encountered an abandoned cow who had sustained several deep injuries on her teats, back, base of tail and limbs and was lying there for past 2 days. She had also developed a deep maggot wound at back and base of tail. A local watchman agreed to take care of her. Along with treatment by the doctor and the care taken by the watchmen the cow recovered.

Dr.Amit Sharma says "The idea of doing this is to involve the people in animal welfare. I find people shirk their responsibilities simply by getting an animal admitted. If we involve more and more people who can do something immediately for the animals, it will make a difference in the long run. The type of training he received today for dressing will help him in future also. Simultaneously if local people see one of their colleagues doing something they may also join him."

Cow Rescued from Kharghar, Navi Mumbai by Dr.Amit Sharma

A cow from Kharghar was reported to have sustained injuries at her horn and was bleeding profusely. After reaching there the doctor found that she has broken her horn causing extreme pain and bleeding. Moreover she had delivered a calf just few days ago. But because of pain she was afraid and the doctor and Navi Mumbai staff had to spend almost 2 hours trying to restrain her. Finally when she gained confidence and she settled down he treated her immediately and then lifted her in our hydraulic ambulance to get her admitted in the hospital along with her calf where she will stay till recovery.

This was a case ideally suited to our new hydraulic ambulance. The special hydraulic lift  allowed for the cow and calf to be evacuated without much trauma.

School Students join Dr.Sharma's equine welfare team of IDA India

During these camps they interact with the guardians regarding the root cause of welfare issues. Kids were charged with enthusiasm and energy to learn communication skills on how to probe regarding a case, how to interact with people and how to understand the social dynamics of welfare issues.  The doctor took the students to various locations and showed them different cases. Each case gave the students a unique perspective including treatment of horses and cows. These children will become our welfare ambassadors. Later they discussed their experience with their school teachers who praised their efforts for the noble cause.

IDA President, Mrs. Fizzah Shah attended cruelty cases all over Mumbai

Among the cases attended by her was that of a  dog whose eyes were gutted out by a cruel person from Andheri (Western Suburb of Mumbai). We tried saving the eye but the dog suddenly developed fits and passed away.

She rescued a Labrador Mother and Male pup from a dingy garage in Ghatkopar (Eastern Suburb of Mumbai). They were kept in a cruel manner without food and water. The pup got adopted and the mother is rehabilitated in Fizzah Farm. At present, both are doing well. 

She also forced the Police to take action against the culprit of a hooligan who mercilessly beat a poor dog. She wrote a letter to the Sr. Inspector and asked him to take action under Indian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. The police took cognizance of the offence and warned the culprit not to repeat the same. The dog was treated at IDA India and sent back to its original place. The dog is now doing well.

Continuing Improvements At The Vashi Center

Committee member Sonali Billimoria who supervises the functionng of the Vashi center continued the work at the Vashi center to make it better for the staff as well as the animals lodged there. This center along with the one at Panvel caters to the entire Navi Mumbai area and has been steadily improving its working capacity and efficiency.

Cruelty Cases In Navi Mumbai

Mgt Committee member Naina Athale, Sonali Billimoria and some dedicated volunteers tackled a couple of cruelty cases in Navi Mumbai.

A family had kept their 2 year old black Labrador in the box window for the past 1 month. A warning letter has been sent to them. The dog has been taken in now. Our volunteers are watching them and they have been told that even once more they put him out there, we take him away.

The second case was regarding a family that kept 3 female dogs in a very filthy compound, they have been warned and we are keeping a close eye on them.

Difficult but wonderful work by our Borivai-Kandivli Volunteer Group

There is a very dedicated group of volunteers in the suburbs of Borivali & Kandivali that works relentlessly to help animals and admits only deserving cases to Deonar centre or to another animal centre nearby called Ahimsa. They have managed to get a small car donated to them, to ferry animals, the expenses of which they foot themselves.  The photo of this new 'Animal Rescue Van' is attached.

This group has been actively working on several difficult and heart breaking cases. Kali a dog whose case of fracture & plaster on the injured leg did not work well had to be amputated. A difficult to catch female dog with severe skin infection was finally caught and admitted to Ahimsa for treatment. A maggot case whom the group treated unfortunately did not make it. Another dog with a severe eye injury was was captured with great difficulty by the volunteers and the IDA staff.

IDA continues to provide medicines and support to this wonderful group.

USA based Mgt Committee Member Sarita Raturi campaigns for IDA

This dedicated committee member continues to work hard for the cause in the USA with initiatives such as Walk/Run in Atlanta to raise animal cruelty awareness, working with students of Georgia Institute of Technology to create solutions for IDA work and many other smaller but no less important projects. We are grateful for her dedication and hard work.