Animal Rahat Update

June to September 2009

Founded in 2003 with just one treatment station, Animal Rahat now has dozens of small, easy-to-reach treatment stations—23 in Solapur and 22 in Sangli (two districts in Maharashtra, which is one of the largest and most populous states in India). The program started with just two employees and has now grown to include a staff of nine.

At first, Rahat veterinarians could only treat 10 to 15 animals per day, but now, the average number of animals treated daily is 87!

In this report, we list a few of Animal Rahat's many achievements during the period from June to September 2009.

Providing Relief for a Gamut of Illnesses and Injuries
The rains in July and August were treacherous—as they are every year for India's working animals—and lameness became an enormous problem. As bullocks struggled to pull heavy carts through the mud, their muscles and joints were put under tremendous strain. Every week, the Rahat vets encountered about 50 cases of lameness.

What the animals needed most in order to recuperate was simply time to rest, so the "prescription" Rahat vets gave to owners was to allow their bullocks to stay home and not work for at least one day. In instances in which owners could not afford to miss work by letting their bullocks rest, Animal Rahat funded "paid rest days" so that owners would not lose income. One bullock was hurt so badly that he had to rest for seven days. It is a godsend to know that this gentle animal got a week's peace to rest and heal when, before Rahat came, he would have almost certainly been forced to work despite his pain.

A bullock gets time to heal.

On average, more than 140 animals per week were prescribed at least one rest day—and of course, for a bullock who has been working for weeks on end with strained muscles and aching joints, those 24 hours of rest are worth more than gold.

In an example of the wide range of injuries that can befall working animals, the Rahat team recently handled a crisis case in which they were contacted about a bullock whose horn had been badly injured. The team rushed to the home of the bullock's owner, Mr. Suryanshi. Although the horn was still in place, there was a large, very bloody wound at the base of the horn where a break had occurred. Horn injuries are extremely serious and can even cause animals to bleed to death.

The vets immediately applied a bandage to the wound and administered antibiotics and steroids. Rahat also paid Mr. Suryanshi to allow the bullock to rest for seven days. During a follow-up visit, the vets packed the injury with a seal that would allow the horn to grow and heal. The bullock is recovering well now, and his owner takes care to protect the injury from rain and flies by keeping it covered with a polythene bag.

Creating Long-Term Changes
One bullock at the Kasegaon center was treated for a fractured hind leg, which had to be put into a plaster cast. This provided an opportunity for the Rahat team to give a talk to the other owners at the center about the best way to immobilize an animal with a bone fracture in order to enable the injury to heal as quickly as possible. Giving informative talks like this on a daily basis at the treatment centers is one of the primary ways in which the Rahat team pushes for long-term changes for animals.

Working animals face so many dangers that the list of topics covered by the Rahat staff is almost unending. The informational sessions offered in recent months included the importance of isolating sick animals from healthy ones, typical causes of adipsia (refusal to drink), the necessity of salt in the equine diet, the proper method of administering oral drugs when an animal is having respiratory problems, common causes of eye infections, the importance of maintaining vaccination records, preparations necessary for transporting horses in order to avoid stress and injury, and causes and prevention of yolk gall, anemia, and pneumonia.

It is impossible to know how many animals will be spared from suffering now that their owners are armed with this kind of valuable knowledge, but if animal guardians spread the lessons to their families and neighbors, it is no exaggeration to say that the lives of tens of thousands of animals' will improve.

A bullock receives treatment for a painful leg wound.

The Rahat team has received great feedback in recent months. For example, many animal guardians from the villages of Chipri, Umarga, and Kothali have been visiting the Jaisingpur treatment center regularly, and they have told the vets how happy they are with Rahat's services. They shared that as a result of following all Rahat's animal welfare management tips, their animals' health is greatly improving. They also mentioned that most of the private vets in the area direct them to Animal Rahat for the more typical cases. This is excellent news: It means that the animals receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment and that their guardians learn how to prevent injuries and illnesses from recurring—something that, unfortunately, does not usually happen with private vets.

Preventing a Long, Painful Death
In an especially important case, the Rahat team was able to provide a kind release to a 12-year-old bullock who was salivating, exhibiting aggressive behavior, and biting inanimate objects. The bullock had contracted rabies, which had reached the stage known as "furious" rabies—when the virus becomes concentrated in the salivary glands.

Although they suffer from thirst, animals afflicted with rabies suffer excruciating pain when they try to they swallow. Eventually, they endure seizures and paralysis that can last for several days. The Rahat vets were grateful to the animal's guardian, Mr. Aiwale, for agreeing to give his bullock an immediate and painless death and sparing him from spending his final days suffering this way.

This case is very significant because euthanasia is still a rare practice in India. Owners are often reluctant to allow an animal to be put out of his or her misery because of centuries-old religious and cultural taboos. In many areas, fatally ill animals are simply cast aside and left to die outside—confused, hungry, thirsty, afraid, and in pain. That's why the Rahat vets consider it a big step forward each time an owner decides that euthanasia is preferable to allowing an animal to endure a slow, agonizing death.

Helping to Retire Working Animals
A very important aspect of Animal Rahat's work is its animal-retirement program. Once they become too old or ill to work, long-suffering cart animals are often sold for slaughter—which is generally performed without stunning and usually follows an unbearably long and hellish journey. As an alternative, the Rahat staff encourages guardians to allow working animals to continue living with their families until the animals die, allowing them to live out their remaining years free from work, pain, and the terror of the slaughterhouse.

To lessen the expenses incurred by owners whose animals are not able to work and earn money, Rahat pays for part of the animals' feeding expenses as long as the retired animals are allowed to continue living with their families. Currently, six retired bullocks and one retired horse are living with their families, thanks to Animal Rahat.

If owners do not have enough money to keep animals who have become too old to work, the Rahat staff encourages them to turn their animals over to Rahat instead of selling them for slaughter. Four bullocks, one donkey, and two buffalo who are now living at the Animal Rahat retirement facility, where they will never have to work again.

During the day, the animals at Rahat's retirement center enjoy grazing on the grass, nibbling on food (which is scattered all over the property to encourage them to exercise their aging limbs), drinking from the water bowls placed around the grounds, and resting under the shade of trees. In the evening, they stroll to the sheds to bed down for the night.

It is so gratifying to be able to provide rest for these retired animals and to help alleviate the suffering of the thousands who are still working. Animal Rahat sponsors make this program possible. Thank you!