Helping Organisation for People,
Environment (HOPE) and Animal Trust is a
non-profit organisation working in India. Currently we are working in Jharkhand State on Human and Animal welfare issues.
This year our efforts ware concentrated on :
1. Animal Birth Control (ABC) Programme – Mobile ABC camps at various residential Colonies in Ranchi in association with Ranchi Municipal Corporation.
2. A Resource & Treatment Centre on Livestock farming: Promoting practice in Humane livestock farming and help improve lives of the farm animals, concerning care and rural communities, economically – watch the short documentary
Animal Birth Control (ABC) Program-
By Mr Praveen Ohal
We, the team of HOPE wanted to help the street dogs who are diseased and ill, wanted to control the street dog population and also help reduce number of dog bite and rabies cases. We all are working in volunteer capacity hence we tried our best to run the activity; however our continued efforts, exposure visits, trainings and attendance in various conferences strengthened our knowledge, spirit and also started getting some financial support.
Our learning through trainings and exposure visits for consecutive seven years taught us many lessons. So we merged the old and new concept of ABC and got the success in starting the program which should have been started seven years before and I think this is one of it’s kind in India, we are confident cause we run this activity differently.
Our concept and idea was based on minimum resources, hence it got accepted by the Ranchi Municipal Corporation and now they are partly funding the program. We achieved this success after Seven years, if we would not have taken this initiative, we do not know how many more years we could have waited to help the street dogs and control their population for their better living.
Being Ranchi is the capital of Jharkhand State. Spay/ Neuter program in this small city is as important as it is in the Metros and other large populated cities. The population of dog is increasing at an alarming rate. Even though a dog is considered a man’s best friend, today, stray dogs are viewed as a major menace – both in terms of hygiene and risk of rabies. Result of this mind-set, people are never friendly with the street dogs. This bridge is increasing due to fear of dog bite and rabies. More find out from the link what people of Ranchi has to say about the street dogs - http://www.bombaynews.net/story/357227
Ranchi has approx 30,000 stray dog population, day by day it is increasing, HOPE & Animal Trust has started the Animal Birth Control Program in September 2007 and has done surgery i.e. spay/ neuter on more than 300 dogs. Now we want to improve the program by adopting more humane methods (better than what you see in Video). There comes the funding/ resource part.
We signed MOU with the Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) for Pet Dog Registration and Stray Dog Control and Management in Ranchi City. Ranchi Municipal Corporation have very little funds to run the ABC program and we will be involving the State Government to implement the program. As per the Government rule, every pet owner should have a license to keep the dogs. The Lincense has to be taken from the Municipal Corporations. But poor understanding and awareness level of the Petowners, Ranchi Municipal Corporation had to involve the Animal Welfare Organisation to reach out to the people in registering their Pets.
Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) has also provided us a man pulled Rickshaw (A tricycle with a cage) with Three Dog Catchers and one Rickshaw Puller.
RMC is paying us for every dog we spay/ neuter.
How does it work - We identify a block in the city. We approach community members/ leaders/ association of the block and request them to provide a space for carrying out the ABC program in their area – in this way the community members get involved.
We set-up our camp in the area
The dog catching Government staff catches the dogs from the same block and released in the same block after keeping them for a day or two (after complete satisfaction) after operation.
The Mayhew Animal Home also came forward to motivate the Petowners by providing free rabies vaccine against each registration. These efforts are
(i) To make people aware/ educate and responsible towards their duties (respecting the law of having license to keep the dogs).
(ii) To create awareness about vaccinating their pets against rabies and not make their pets breed.
(iii) To generate funds for carrying out the ABC program.
The pet dog registration work was carried until 31st March 2008. 670 registrations are recorded with approx 500 numbered free rabies vaccines. Against Rs. 100/- as Registration fees, RMC is providing a Dog ID, Certificate and A Dog Guide where as from our end we are providing free rabies vaccines sponsored by the Mayhew Animal Home last year. Though there are approximately 4000 numbered pet dogs in Ranchi but low awareness amongst people reduced the number of registrations.
A Resource & Treatment Centre on Livestock farming: By Mr. Niraj Kumar Bhagat
Although we have undertaken and continues to undertake a number of activities consistent with its mission in Khunti, the Resource and Treatment Centre is the keystone of its activities for animals and human population, through working closely with the local community, and by providing a high level of assistance. Our goal is to establish a self-sufficient and self-sustaining Resrouce Centre on livestock farming in Khunti.
The Jharkhand state has 22 Districts. Each District has got 15 to 20 Blocks with 100 to 150 villages per block. Khunti has got only one Veterinary Clinic with just one or two Veterinary Doctors. It is always difficult for block level government veterinary clinics to provide services to all the villages (144 villages) at times of need. Many a times villagers don't get services at the government clinics, reason the doctors are visiting in the field or closed for holiday.
The sufferers are the tribal people, who are neither educated nor empowered. Their animals are always left to die without medicinal support/ care, which leads to the spreading of diseases amongst the other animals - this is common in Jharkhand. Also due to frustration and for not able to provide medical assistance to the ill animals, they are treated traditionally and left on their fate.
In Khunti and it's surroundings most families keep animals, such as cows, buffalos, goats, chicken.
They care for their animals based on traditional knowledge. In case of diseases they usually don't know what it is or how it should be treated. Next to that a lot of their care could be improved: how to care for the animals, what to feed, ... etc.
We need to define the services of this centre: which resources, training, treatment can we offer to these families.
To address local issues, the village leadership have developed a plan based on the primary goal:
- To educate the community members about the value of animals beyond their economic value, and increase awareness on how well managed livestock farming can help provide a sustainable livelihood for the people.
Planned Activities for Future
Adopting more Humane methods in running the current ABC program by adopting low cost CNVR method for the Street Dogs in Ranchi.
A Resource & Treatment Centre on Livestock farming at Khunti
Awareness generation activities to promote dog adoptions.