Help homeless animals access life-saving treatment

Our sterilization program has stepped up a level. Our aim of carrying out multiple sterilization camps around the district is finally coming to pass. In April the local council requested we carry lout a camp in Keylong, Lahaul. Although this is outside our usual working area, we know how isolated and how few veterinary facilities are available in the region. Therefore, we were eager to help, and travelled to the snow-covered region to sterilize 81 dogs.

After the success of the Keylong camp, we arranged a camp in Manali in response to the devastating poisonings that occurred a few months beforehand. We managed to sterilize 120 dogs before the monsoon started, forcing us to halt until after the heavy rains stop in September. 

Now to those monsoon rains.

Manali is a mountain town building a valley, with steep. Mountains either side of the Beas River that runs all the way through the Kullu Valley. This year saw a huge amount of rainfall in a short period of time, causing the river to rise significantly and burst its banks. Roads were washed away, Buildings disappeared, bridges were knocked down, power, water, and internet was lost for days, and in some areas is still not properly connected again. People lost their homes, livelihood and in many cases their lives. And the animals did not go unharmed either. Many died, washed away by the river or crushed under falling buildings.

However, we managed to save a great many, Some were stuck in the middle of the river on small boulders or land masses. Many were found roaming and injured, unable to find food. The number of rescues we had to carry out and the number of inpatients in our care rose drastically. In one single day, we rescued 27 dogs.

We have also started to receive more calls about wildlife in recent months.This has resulted in usrescuing a6-weekold Rhesus macaque monkey after she and her motherwere electrocuted. Sadlythe mother died instabntly leaving Koko an orphan. We treated her burn wounds and ensured hersurvival, but we are not set upformonkeys somust make a plan for her future. We alsorescued a jackal, ananaimal that is rarely seen by humans. He was hit by a car, suffering severe injuries. However, with several weeksof care from our dedicated team he made a full recovery and was released back to the area he was found.

This was also the time of year when flies wreak havoc on animals, causing the slightest injury to become a devastating wound after maggots eat away at the animal.It has been difficult and stressful for our team, with each member having to work without a day off for weeks on end due to the workload and limited resources we have, but we have gotten through it.

We are now in the process of organizing a large sterilization camp in the main Kullu town, followed by several smaller ones in local villages. The work we do is ongoing, so we are so grateful to all of our supporters who continue to donate and make it possible.

Thank you all