By Leslie Robinson | Founder
Dear People...Dear Animal Lovers...Dear Supporters...
Namaste'. I bow to your Innermost Selves.
From my Heart to your Heart.
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This Report gives an overview of the energy our Work has generated to lift suffering from both the animal realm and the human realm.
I will especially talk about the actions we have taken to care for the "owner animals". And how, as a result, we have been able to profoundly and wonderfully increase the kindness and care given to homeless animals on the streets. Om Namah Shivaya.
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To remind you of the level at which we are operating, below are our STATISTICS SINCE OPENING JAN.2007 THRU MAR.2022. (Please note that the year is 2022. It is very, very time consuming to keep cumulative stats. These times are profoundly busy, so we offer these figures fo give a good sense of the level at which we operate. The "Monthly figures" below are current.)
MONTHLY (these figures are current), we:
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While the stats are impressive they are not the main thing. THE IMPORTANT THING IS HEART! For deep healing to take place a creature has to feel safe, cared for, and loved. Demonstrative Love. Touching, reassuring, hugging. And yes, kissing. It suffuses all our Work.
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There are three population groups:
The "in-patient animals": Usually between 150 and 250. Primarily dogs and puppies. Many rescued homeless animals. When the adult dogs are healed they are released back into their own territories, and are very happy. Puppies are placed in good homes. If an animal is not strong enough to make it on its own, we give it sanctuary and it lives a happy life in the Shelter. And then there's a smattering of other animals in treatment.
I've written about them before. Inside, the Shelter is simply permeated with Love. And the animals are really happy. Sometimes when animal lovers visit for the first time, I tell them to close their eyes for a minute and just experience the energy. I tell them that the softness, the quietness that they're experiencing is Grace. And it is within that field of Grace that everything unfolds.
Often people visiting for the first time get teary because they didn't know a place such as ours existed.
The "owner animals": Most shelters don't focus a lot of energy on owner animals. We do. So they don't have busy clinics treating "outside" animals. We have 800 to 1500 visits a month to our clinic.
We have really put a lot of energy into building relationships with the citizenry. We let them know we provide very, very good care, treatment and operations. AT NO COST! All animals--dogs, cats, cows, calves, donkeys, pigs, parrots, horses, buffalo--ALL! We really don't charge no matter what kind of animal needs our help.
It is widely known that if there's an emergency during the night, or out of town, we will cover it. If the citizens can't bring the animal to us, we will cover it. (90 percent are dogs or puppies.)
Last week Dr. Raja operated on a cow that had a tumor on its eye. The operation took over an hour. There was no charge, and the owner took her home. But if she had needed intense care in the Shelter for two days, there would equally have been no charge. If an operation required two doctors and three hours and two weeks post care in the Shelter, there would still be no charge. The people know they can simply count on it, and trust and bring all their sick or injured animals to us.
They are very, very grateful. The whole community knows we provide this service, whether or not they own animals. And they are truly grateful. They know it's important to us that the street dogs and all other homeless animals are treated with kindness. And this really shows up in how beautifully our homeless animals are treated by the people amongst whom they live. These are the same people who are grateful to us. Many visitors comment that they have never before seen people being so kind to homeless animals. When an animal needs help, we're called. Even if it's night. And even if it's out of town...Om Namah Shivaya.
Finally, the "homeless animals": Mostly dogs. We have 9000 homeless dogs. But others too: cows, goats, etc. that actually have owners, but are wandering. Then we have birds, squirrels, monkeys, and others.
When we first opened in January 2007 there were over 7000 homeless dogs and the stray population was out of control. With no small animal vet within 75 kms, no treatment facility, rabies and widespread abuse, there was unbounded misery. And there were 350 suffering and dying animals on the streets--mostly dogs and puppies, but others too (monkeys, cows, squirrels, peacocks, etc.). It was awful!
The most important thing for homeless animals is the relationship they have with the people amongst whom they live day in, day out. And that relationship has been totally transformed.
There are no more suffering and dying animals on the streets. There is no more widespread abuse (and thus very few aggressive dogs) and virtually no dog bites.
There's another very important practice, in addition to the gratitude coming from the treatment of "owner animals", that has generated the energy for people to be kind to street animals. To catch street dogs for sterilization we go into all parts of the Municipality and most people get to see at least one catch. Our people catch the dogs with a lot of love and care. (This is very different than most shelters where there is often brutality involved. It takes much more time but is well worth it.) If they have to chase a dog down, after they catch them, they stroke and calmly reassure them that everything will be okay, that we are good people and will bring them back. And we have people inside the van to reassure them. The people watching are very moved by this care and love, and by the dog responding. These are "teachable moments" that affect their attitude towards the animals. We tell our "catchers" they are being observed and should be exceptionally demonstrative. And thru "interconnectedness" the increased kindness spreads. Imagine the immense power generated when we do 100 sterilizations a month!
Another major thing we do is to put focused energy into loving and reassuring the dogs during the seven days they are with us for sterilization. So when we release them they are more open to humans. Very important...Om Namah Shivaya.
One can experience the change by walking on the streets. Each year, street conditions get better and better, and Tiru is amongst the very few municipalities of size where this has happened.
Many people comment. They've never, in India, seen people more loving to street animals or the animals so open to people. It was the large number of foreigners who only come for the cooler months, November thru February, who saw the transformation most dramatically after being absent for eight months. Many approached us to thank us for the amazing changes taking place. There were other signs. The people bringing "owner animals " to the Shelter were outwardly more loving. The way some people bringing emergency cases were involved with the creatures...and their expressions of gratitude.
THIS IS MAJOR. MAJOR. MAJOR!!! THE ENTIRE ANIMAL KINGDOM HAS BEEN UPLIFTED. THANK YOU GOD...OM NAMAH SHIVAYA.
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An important comment I heard recently from a close friend is that he felt people were being nicer to each other. And that hits on something super important. When peoples' Hearts have truly opened to the animals, it is so auspicious. For when there's an opening like that in the Heart, the Heart doesn't only open in one direction; it simply opens. So people are nicer to each other, too. It's profoundly there. You can't see it, but it's there. It's simply the nature of the Heart. And the societal implications are immense.
Mahatma Gandhi's famous quote of, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." is really about the Heart. If humans are good to animals, then they're good to each other, too.
It's actually an effective way of uplifting human populations. May the Government recognize this and channel more resources.
What's happening is beyond anything I could ever have imagined back in the early days of the Shelter. We are grateful the way it has unfolded. We pray-- because it is so important to millions of animals across the country, and in other countries, too--that the knowledge that has been given to us SPREADS, and that the relationship of the animals and the people they live with every day may be transformed.
We have to do this together. It is together that the quality of life of the Precious Ones can most effectively be lifted.
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24/7 RESCUE: Any time of the day or night, within 125 kms, we will be there in a short time.
ADOPTIONS; We have placed over 1800 puppies and dogs, mostly puppies, in good homes. WE ARE THE ONLY SHELTER IN THE COUNTRY, POSSIBLY THE WORLD, WHO GO OUT UP TO 100 KMS TO FIND GOOD HOMES FOR PUPPIES AND DOGS. Vishwa has trained several college students to search for these homes. (The students are so deeply moved by the Work that they only accept reimbursement for expenses.) Om Namah Shivaya.
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Here are your favorites: the Rescue Stories from Vishwa.
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Before closing, I'd like to say something about my beloved Dr. Raja and Vishwa who are now, as I enter "old age", actually running the Shelter. (I am overseeing and advising.) They are s-o-o-o good, it's humbling. The dedication...the deep compassion...of Vishwa and Dr. Raja is fathomless. AND they have never, and I mean never, declined to move strongly for any suffering creature, no matter what was involved. As you might guess, I really, really worry about them and plead with them to take some rest. But they won't, even though I feel they often get near the point of collapse. But no matter how hard I might push or worry, they simply won't hold back. Bless them! Bless them! Bless them! My beloved Vishwa and Dr. Raja.
They have both been with me from the very beginning...and it is together that we have built this wonderful shelter.
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This brings us to the end of the Report.
May we all be Blessed, Guided, and Protected.
Following is a collection of photos. Please enjoy. Remember the dominant theme is LOVE.
PLEASE...REMEMBER...DONATIONS.
THE PRECIOUS ONES NEED US...AND WE NEED YOU.
THESE ARE LEAN TIMES FOR US. RECURRING DONATIONS, EVEN QUITE MODEST ONES, ARE BEST.
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Shantideva, a 7th century Buddhist Master said, "All the joy the world contains has come through wishing happiness for others. All the misery the world contains has come through wanting pleasure for oneself."
Sending Blessings, Love, and Wishes for all things good. May our beloved Planet heal. May we all be blessed with more compassionate understanding. May we all be good to each other.
Leslie, The Ageing Expatriate Warrior
Arunachala Animal Sanctuary & Rescue Shelter has earned the following badges on GlobalGiving.
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One of the great 20th century Masters whose entire life was an offering to others said, "I have shown the methods that lead to inner liberation. But you should know that liberation depends upon yourself."
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By Leslie Robinson | Founder
By Leslie Robinson | Founder
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