Animal Rahat Update

September 2011

The good work of Animal Rahat has grown stronger and even more influential, thanks to your support. I hope that you enjoy reading these highlights—and keep in mind that this is only a fraction of what Animal Rahat has accomplished this month for India's working animals. Please don't miss a word!

First, Animal Rahat staff transferred 13 of their rescued friends to a partner sanctuary in the Nilgiri Hills. Six of them—Sita, Gita, Inky, Pinky, Ponky, and Atlas—were dogs rescued from the streets. Some had been living at the Animal Rahat sanctuary, and others had been cared for at Rahat's regional offices. Spayed, neutered, de-wormed, vaccinated, and healed of all ailments and injuries, these now healthy, happy pups will be together forever in their beautiful new home along with many other Rahat-rescued dogs, including Rosie and Julie—who, as you can see in the photos, are all grown up now!

In the Nilgiris, the soft mountain soil is better for equine legs and hooves than the hard-packed earth where Animal Rahat is based. Therefore, they also sent ponies Raja and Dasarath—as well as donkeys Devi, Maggie, and Sachin—to join Rahat's other rescued equines at the foothills refuge. The staff got choked up saying "Goodbye" to all these lovely individuals.

They had to say "Goodbye," too, to the Rahat sanctuary's oldest resident, also named Raja, a very elderly retired bullock. Raja had been with Animal Rahat for four years. After he was diagnosed with eye cancer, the Rahat surgeons removed his left eye, and Raja did very well in the years following. Unfortunately, however, vets recently discovered another carcinoma that had metastasized. Raja quickly became beset with pain, and staff made the decision not to pursue more treatment, as pain and medication would be all that he would know. He was euthanized surrounded by people who cared deeply for him. At his funeral, the respect paid by the Rahat staff to the spirit of this gentle soul rivaled that for the most admired human being. Thank you for helping to allow Raja to experience four years of joy and to live his final years free of hunger, thirst, whips, yokes, and grueling labor.

Animal Rahat has welcomed a new permanent resident—a bullock named Shyam. At 20 years old, Shyam had thankfully not been made to work by his owner, Mr. Gawali, for the past five years because of his poor health. However, Mr. Gawali could no longer afford to care for him. The Rahat team persuaded him to allow Shyam to live out his remaining years at the Animal Rahat sanctuary. I have enclosed a photo of Shyam as he arrived—you can tell from his tears that he is scared and confused in this new setting. But with care and companionship, he will soon feel at home. And Mr. Gawali is welcome to visit!

On the national front, Animal Rahat made a plea to the government this month to increase penalties for cruelty to animals in new draft legislation. In light of a new animal welfare bill currently being considered, the Rahat team set up a display near the office of the Ministry of Environment and Forests in Delhi to show dozens of cruel devices seized by Rahat staffers during the Chinchali Fair and at sugarcane factories. They included whips as well as the spiked rods that some owners suspend from bullock yokes so that if a bullock takes a step too far in one direction, he is met with a sharp stab in his neck.

Always moving forward in their mission to educate, change minds, and change practices, Animal Rahat's community outreach activities this month included the following:

• Convincing many bullock owners to switch from using painful nose ropes to painless morkees (face harnesses), which make a world of difference for the bulls
• Meeting with a group of tonga (pony cart) owners to inform them of the importance of salt in a horse's diet to prevent sodium deficiency and dehydration
• Getting several sheds built on bullock owners' property to shelter bullocks from the harsh elements
• Working in numerous villages to ensure that community water troughs for animals are cleaned regularly to prevent mold, which can give animals fungal infections
• Surveying 27 villages surrounding the city of Pandharpur to assess which animal welfare needs will be the highest priorities now that sugarcane season has ended

Among the many animals Rahat rescued this month were two puppies, Khandu and Baburao. Khandu was suffering from a severe case of mange, but after three weeks of treatment, he is in good condition and is being cared for at the Animal Rahat office. He is kept company by Baburao, who had gone into shock after running for his life from two aggressive dogs and who took several days to recover before realizing that he had at last found safety.