November, 15, 2011 – Animal Nepal rehabilitates confiscated parrots

Today Animal Nepal and AWNN, with the help of Balkhu police station, rescued four parrots and a puppy from India bird smugglers. The parrots were taken to Animal Nepal's animal sanctuary while the puppy was adopted by kind police officers.

The parrots and puppy were kept in tiny cages. The birds were being sold on the streets of Kathmandu, while the puppy was destined to be smuggled to India, to be sold there as a 'Himalayan breed'. Roots and Shoots and Animal Nepal rescued 42 such puppies in December last year.

The parrots are being rehabilitated at Chobar Animal Sanctuary. The police officers decided to adopt the puppy, which now guards the police station of Balkhu.

November 11, 2011 – Monkey kept in tiny cage rescued

A baby monkey which was kept in a tiny cage as part of an 'educational mini zoo' by Anal Jyoti Boarding School (Sunakothi) has been rescued by Roots and Shoots Nepal. After receiving vaccinations at Animal Nepal's animal sanctuary, the rescuers took the monkey to its new home at the R&S rehab centre in Nagarkot.

The baby monkey was kept in a small cage, together with some birds and rabbits, 'to educate the children about the importance of animals', according to school authorities. After regular visits by Animal Nepal staff, the school management agreed to hand over the monkey. The pet monkey was self harming and showed aggressive behaviour.

Although the monkey probably cannot be rehabilitated in the wild, it now has a large enclosure, hopefully shared with other monkeys in the future.

November 11, 2011 – Hari rescued from Harisiddi

Today we rescued Hari, a young dog whose leg was badly broken and infected after an accident. We had been trying to find him since many days; despite his injury Hari moved around a lot in his village Harisiddi. Hari will first receive anti biotics to bring the infection down. After that a splint will be put to straighten his leg.  We wish him a speedy recovery!

A video can be watched here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Qmx41BwZqk

November 10, 2011 – Dog suffering from advanced cancer rescued

A dog suffering from an advanced stage of Canine transmissible venereal tumor (CTVT) has been rescued by us today. We call her Asha (Hope) and are trying our utmost to save her life. Asha used to live in front of Nabil Bank, Pulchowk. Since she is too weak to be given chemo treatment immediately we first boost her immune system with hydration, anti biotics and vitamins. 

Watch a video of Asha here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pz2g0seTVg

November 7, 2011 - Donkey traveler Brigitte Blot visits Animal Nepal

Today Brigitte Blot, who travelled with her two donkeys throughout France and Spain and produced three books about her travels, visited Animal Nepal. Together with film maker Patrick Kersale she is working on a book and film about donkeys in Nepal. She wanted to meet the rescued equines at the donkey sanctuary and also observed and filmed donkeys at work in a nearby brick factory. Brigitte and Patrick will travel with a ‘mule train’ in the Himalayas and might even visit the equine bazaar of Nepalgunj. We wish them happy travels!

November 3, 2011 – Starving donkeys saved with nutritious food

Animal Nepal today fed 13 starving donkeys at Shiva Shakti Brick Factory. By the time we heard about the hungry equines, 9 donkeys had already died from starvation. They were kept in an unventilated room covered in feaces. Their hoofs were already infected.

Animal Nepal has reported the case with the police. It seems the donkeys were kept as a bond when their Rolpa-based owner owned money from the brick entrepreneur. Animal Nepal is abhorred by the treatment meted out to the innocent animals. 

The donkeys have been moved to an airy shelter and receive daily rations. 

Watch a video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqT-tiW1HV0

November 3, 2011 – Buddy finds a new home at our donkey sanctuary

Today we rescued Buddy, a malnourished working horse with a hoof so badly overgrown, it could hardly walk. In our equine outreach programme we regularly come across such horses. Injured or sick, their owners leave them to fend for themselves. 10-year old Buddy worked in a brick factory for many years. After developing a hoof problem, he was left to graze in a nearby field.

By the time his owner handed him over to us, Buddy’s hoof was so badly overgrown, he could hardly walk.  At our sanctuary, the starving horse was fed and his hoof was trimmed.  Gentle Buddy showed his gratefulness by nudging his rescuers, Dr Sudeep, Santosh and Tek Bhandari.

October 25, 2011 – Dogs spoiled on the occasion on Kukur Tihar

Each year, during Kukur Tihar or Dog Worship, Animal Nepal honours the dogs at its shelter and pets brought by friends. On October 25, mangy dog Lalu was the first to be garlanded and feted on a boiled egg and sweets. According to Animal Nepal, Kathmandu’s pet and stray dogs continue to live a life of neglect and abuse. “Kukur Puja is a perfect occasion to promote responsible pet ownership in Nepal. Dogs on this day are worshipped and treated well – something we like to see happening every day of the year,” says programme manager Krishna Singh.

In the presence of 25 well wishers board member Shobha Rajamayi launched two booklets on the care of puppies and adult dogs, Animal Nepal will use these in its community education programme to increase people’s understanding of nutrition, treatment and general management of dogs

October 23, 2011 – Animal Nepal comes to the rescue in Dholahity

Two weeks ago we received an email from Lalitpur resident Soan KC which said: “During the Dashain holidays, I saw three street dogs familiar to me die in my area (a vehicle ran over one and the two died of illness such as prostate gland problems). There are more than fifty street dogs in Dholahity requiring rescue and assistance from us and hence, I make a request for a camp to help these needy animals. The urgent need at this moment is rabies vaccination and operation on female dogs to stop their breeding.”

Today, with the help of Soan and her friends, we vaccinated 23 dogs and treated two dogs. We also rescued a severely malnourished, hairless dog and caught female dogs for spaying. Soan KC uploaded a photo essay on Facebook which she dedicated to the members of Animal Nepal for "showing me the path and assuring that those who can’t express can be understood and taken care of ...... one of the most productive days of my life.....”

The photos can be seen here:http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.838812476351.2269541.44011428&type=3

October 17, 2011 – Shuri the cat on top location

Rescued cat Shuri at first was frightened by the many puppies pouncing on him at the Chobar Animal Sanctuary, but by now he has learned how to deal with unwanted attention. Dozing off on roof tops, tables and little chairs make a pleasant change from all the playing!

September 28, 2011 – World Rabies Day celebrated with mobile ca

Today we celebrated World Rabies Day by vaccinating close to 100 dogs with the support of DLSO Lalitpur. We drove from Sato Bato to Taukhel and vaccinated all dogs along the way. We distributed countless leaflets on rabies and dog bite prevention to communities in Dapakhel, Hatiban, Harisiddi and Taukhel.

We also vaccinated all dogs inside the campound of Kanti Children's Hospital. We want to make sure the young patients and their families are safe from rabies.

Thank you everyone who helped us make this programme a success!

September 20, 2011 – Three equines adopted by Chitwan farm

As Animal Nepal's donkey sanctuary is getting over populated we are always on the look out for adoption families. Earlier this month our board member Shobha Rayamaji committed herself to adopting one horse (Jugal) and two of our donkeys (Champa and Sanu). Shobha's farm is located in Nawalparasi, a ten hour drive from Kathmandu.

Today our staff Dr Sudeep, Tek Bahadur and Keshab loaded the equines in a Tata truck and set off for the farm. Upon their arrival the equines were checked by a team from Mayhew International, who were conducted a training at Rampur Veterinary College. Jugal was treated for a minor health problem, while Sanu and Champa were found to be in good condition. The threesome enjoys its new home, with more space, fodder and personal attention

September 19, 2011 – Mayhew team conducts much appreciated workshops

Empowering young professionals is essential in Nepal. Few (student) vets get the chance to learn practical skills in treatment and surgery. Few realise animal welfare can be a deserving career.

This week, Mayhew International and Animal Nepal organised a series of workshop on good handling and surgery practices. Mayhew trainers Dr Ursula Goetz and Felicity Forbes demonstrated spaying surgeries, explaining the process from the moment the dog receives its pre op check up till it wakes up and checked with a post op check up.

We organised a two day workshop for welfare professionals. One day student workshops were held at HICAST college in Bhaktapur and IAAS college in Rampur. We hope to organize such trainings on an ongoing basis in the future. Thank you Dr Ursula and Felicity!

August 26, 2011 – AN deeply upset by Bhaktapur dog poisoning

Animal Nepal is deeply upset by the recent strychnine poisoning of around 200 community dogs by Bhaktapur municipality. AN lobbies for a total ban on dog poisoning and condemns authorities which continue to use inhumane, dangerous and ineffective methods to address overpopulation.

The images of ‘man’s best friend’ dying a slow and agonizing death are heart rendering and deeply traumatizing for children and other members of the public.

What is even more shocking is that the strychnine poison was provided by the Zoonoses Unit of Epidemiology Disease Control Division (EDCD), the government body in charge of mass vaccination campaigns funded by animal welfare organizations.

Animal Nepal wants to thank Bhaktapur Animal Welfare Society (BAWS) for saving and euthanizing some of the dogs and standing up against the local government.

August 25, 2011 – AN joins consumer campaign at Real Estate Expo

Our staff this week join BrickClean Network (BCN) representatives to promote ‘clean and green bricks’ at the Real Estate Expo. BCN encourages developers, builders, architects and other visitors in choosing the right bricks to build ‘a clean and green Valley, brick by brick’. Over 2000 people visited the BCN stall.

BCN at the expo will display images of brick factory workers and provide information about where to buy the right kind of bricks. Concerned about the plight of the workers and environmental degradation, the network aims to promote socially responsible brick making. BCN has introduced a certification system in which brick factories are rated according to various indicators.

BCN was created by a group of social workers, environmentalists, child rights and animal rights advocates working in brick factories in the Kathmandu Valley.

August 11, 2011 – AN campaigns to stop Khokana goat cruelty

Each year in Khokana a cruel ritual takes place. A live goat is thrown into a pond and bitten to death by a group of youngsters. The person who kills the goat with his teeth is considered a ‘hero’ and leads the procession.

Animal Nepal since two years organizes camps in the weeks before the sacrifice takes place, to raise awareness and to convince the community to stop the cruel practice. This year during a health camp for pets and strays, our team vaccinated and treated 30 dogs. Although the camps are highly appreciated, sadly the ritual was not stopped this year.

August 11, 2011 – Indian donkeys employed in Kathmandu brick kilns

Animal Nepal is shocked to find that each year 100-300 Indian equines are employed in Kathmandu brick factories. The equines come from Nanpura in Uttar Pradesh, India, a small town located at a 22 km distance from Nepalgunj (Nepal).  

Nanpura equine owners have strong connections with the Nepalgunj community. If the imported equine is part of a herd it will enter Nepal through the official route. However, smaller numbers are smuggled across the border. Brokers charge IRs 1000 per donkey to provide a Nepali custom paper and a veterinary certificate.

At Nanpura during off season all equines are in abandoned in the street; no owner has a proper shelter for equines. The municipality runs a Kanji House where confiscated equines are kept but charges only IRs 50 per donkey so owners do not mind paying the occasional fines

August 10, 2011 – AN team treats 18 equines in Nepalgunj

During a series of mobile health camps, 18 equines were treated by a visiting Animal Nepal team on an ongoing basis in Nepalgunj. Most sick equines suffered from open wounds, eye or ear infections, hoof problems or weakness due to malnutrition and pyometra in females. Sadly one foal could not be saved.

Dr Sudeep and technician Radhika together treated the badly infected ear of a male white donkey. After repeated visits the ear healed, providing much relief to the donkey and its owner

August 8, 2011 – AN team organizes Nepalgunj workshops

Our staff Dr Sudeep Koirala and Krishna Singh are presently conducting a series of workshops and mobile health camps to support the Nepalgunj team, Dr Prativa Shrestha, Surendra Karki and Radhika Poudel.

During a workshop with equine owners, participants were encouraged to form a group to stand united. The group calls itself Gadha, Ghoda and Khachhar Vavasai Sameeti (Horse, Mule and Donkey Owners’ Committee). Interactive meetings were held with government and media representatives.

This year we found that our education and lobbying activities are paying off and that conditions are generally improving. Our team noticed that the shelters of mules and horses have been improved and better medical care and nutrition is provided

July 30, 2011 – Suffering donkey saved by Dr Sudeep

Dr Sudeep Koirala, veterinary manager of our equine outreach programme, managed to save the life of Anna, a 14-year old female donkey whose uterus prolapsed when giving birth to a dead foal. Dr Sudeep first cleaned the uterus using povidone iodine. He then proceeded by providing a painkiller and antibiotics injection. After that he slowly and carefully pushed the uterus back in, blocking the exit with a bottle until everything was back in place. 

Once the uterus was in its original position the mother donkey was able to relax. “I had been working intensively for a few hours on this challenging job, and only when the donkey felt fine I could relax as well,” says Sudeep.

July 29, 2011 – Animal Nepal treats over 2000 equine cases

Animal Nepal treated a total of 2049 equine cases in 13 brick factories the period January-June. This revealed our latest quarterly report. A total of 507 working equines were immunized and dewormed. Most common health problems treated are harness and hobble wounds, mineral deficiency, dermatitis, eye infections and lameness. A total of 27 donkeys were reported to have died in our working area during this season.

Our staff organized four workshop of equine management for equine owners in which they were taught about preventive health care, shelter management, wound treatment and credit analysis.

Although the suffering of donkeys, mules and horses working in Kathmandu’s brick factories remains overwhelming, we are happy to conclude that the presence of wounds and injuries in our working area has reduced significantly

July 28, 2011 – Street children meet street dogs

Both are regarded as outcasts by society. They live side by side on the streets of Kathmandu and face similar challenges. Perhaps that is why they have a special relationship: street children and stray dogs.

In a unique program set up by Sangkalpa, Heart Beat and Animal Nepal, street children are taught how to take care of dogs. In this program, coordinated by our education officer Sushma Maharjan and artist Mike Lilly, we teach children how to better interact with dogs and to see that they are not mistreated.

During a visit Chobar Animal Sanctuary the kids were given demonstrations by our staff. They toured the facilities and took the dogs for a walk. The children learned simple commands, and the correct way to walk the dog. At the conclusion the young visitors were given sketchbooks to share their impressions, followed by sports activities and lunch.

July 7, 2011 – Donation from children’s home’s supporters

Animal Nepal received NRs 10,000 and a box of medicines from supporters of SEA Nepal, Ms Marie-Helene Duprat and Jocelyne Vitart. In the past Animal Nepal helped treating needy dogs found in the locality of SEA Nepal’s children’s home. The medicines were handed over by SEA Nepal’s associate Hari. Among the medicines were Betadine, gloves, sterile gauzes, masks and ear medicine. Thank you Marie-Helene, Jocelyne and Hari!

July 4, 2011 – Animal Nepal organizes workshop on city cow management

Animal Nepal today organized an interaction programme on stray cow management in Kathmandu Valley at the Lalitpur Sub Metropolitan City office. Being faced with injured cows on a weekly basis, Animal Nepal lobbies for improved management of abandoned cows which roam the city streets.

Occasionally stray cows are rounded up and left on an undisclosed location outside the valley. Representatives from three municipalities and DLSO brainstormed on possible solutions. Some of the strategies discussed were tagging of owned cows, assigning a budget and opening cow shelters.

An alliance has been formed which plans to develop a 5 year management plan. The next meeting will be organized by Kathmandu municipality.

June 8, 2011 – Mike Lilly’s art show for animals opens up

American artist Mike Lilly has teamed up with Animal Nepal and Pledge Nepal to organise a one month art exhibition featuring recent works that highlight the interaction between humans and animals. The show was opened today by Dr Kevin Rushing, USAID Mission Director, at Chai Chai Gallery.

Mike Lilly is an American artist who moved to Nepal in 2008. He did his MFA at San Fransisco Art Academy. Since arriving in Kathmandu he worked as a Visual Art Coordinator at Ullens School. These days his aim is to empower children in need. Lilly’s recent work focuses on animals. “I got inspired by the work of my wife at Animal Nepal, an organization that reaches out to working donkeys and their child handlers, as well as stray dogs and cows.”

June 8, 2011 - Dr Kevin Rushing visits Animal Nepal

Today USAID Mission Director Dr Kevin Rushing visited Animal Nepal and made a tour of our sanctuaries. Dr Rushing is a veterinary doctor with a great interest in animal welfare activities in Nepal. He handed over a state of the art surgery table and two operation light sets to vet coordinator Dr Surendra Basyal. Dr Rushing also handed over boxes of various medicines and instruments to Volunteer Director Pramada Shah. Thank you Dr Rushing!

June 13, 2011 - Victory is born!

Today we witnessed the birth of Victory, the first foal to be born at our donkey sanctuary. Victory is a gorgeous white foal whose proud mother is Bruna, whom we rescued on March 5. Bruna at that time was pregnant and suffered from a lame front leg and refused to work, which was why she was abandoned by her owner. Fearing a miscarriage, Animal Nepal rescued the donkey. Mother and foal are doing very well

June 8, 2011 - A friend in need...

Today when we arrived at our central office at Ekantakuna, we found that an injured dog had been abandoned inside our storeroom. The female puppy, now called Sathi (friend) suffers from an old fracture, with dysfunction, local trauma, abnormal posture and crepitus. We took Sathi to our consultant vet, Dr Balaram Thapa, who fixed a pin inside the broken leg. We wish Sathi a speedy recovery!

June 6, 2011 – Pulchowk mother dog reunited with puppies

Today we rescued an emaciated mother dog from Pulchowk. She had given birth to six puppies, are of whom were adopted. Left without pups the mother dog’s breasts started to fill up with milk and she developed mastitis. She is now reunited with three of her puppies at our sanctuary and will be spayed and vaccinated once the puppies can eat independently.

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June 5, 2011 - Campaigners hand over Animal Welfare Act

 AN editor

Today, Animal Welfare Network Nepal (AWNN), on the occasion of World Environment Day, hand ed over a draft Animal Welfare Act to Shanta Chaudhary, Chair of the Natural Resource Committee.

Earlier AWNN launched a Facebook campaign to lobby for the protection of animals. The campaign, called ‘People Unite for Animals’, drew a large crowd in Babar Mahal.

The act is based on the internationally recognized Five Freedoms of Animals and introduces an Animal Welfare and Ethics Committee as well as penalties for abusers.

The campaigners say animals are an integral part of the environment and that without legal protection cruelty against animals will go unabated. Nepal is one of the few countries in the world without an Animal Welfare Act. “This means that animals can be abused without anyone being able to stop it,” says Pramada Shah, chair of AWNN.

Parliamentarian Chaudhary said she would promote the act endorsed by AWNN and use the expertise of the network to improve Nepal’s laws related to animals.

June 3, 2011 – AN relaunches its Adopt a Nepali Dog campaign

 AN editor

Today we relaunched our Adopt a Nepali Dog campaign by introducing new poster slogans and designs and one month of media exposure. The cool designs were prepared by Shirish Dali. The campaign uses a special website (www.adoptanepalidog.info) to promote the adoption of Nepalese mixed breeds, most of them rescued by Animal Nepal. One of the slogans says “Why buy a German Shepherd, a Japanese Spitz or a Tibetan Mastiff when you can have an all in one, for free?” Nepali Times published a feature article on the campaign, after which 3 dogs and a cat were adopted.

June 1, 2011 - Lulu the hairless dog

 AN editor

Today we rescued Lulu, a mangy and severely malnourished dog. At the moment she is not a candidate for Nepal’s handsomest dog but we trust that with treatment and good food she soon will be. We wish Lulu a happy stay at our sanctuary!

May 20, 2011 - Maiti fully recovered

 AN editor

Maiti, the young calf with a broken leg which we rescued on March 14, has fully recovered. He now walks normally and enjoys grazing in the area around our shelter. Although we still feed him at night, soon Maiti will be released fully in the nearby forest area. We still hope to see Maiti at least once a day for some extra treats!

May 18, 2011 – Animal Nepal helps to rescue 180 birds

 AN editor

Animal Nepal and Roots and Shoots today joined hands to save the lives of 180 birds. The birds were rescued in a raid conducted by Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) and Roots and Shoots (R&S) on Buddha Jyanti (Buddha’s birthday) yesterday.

The birds are rehabilitated at Animal Nepal’s Chobar Animal Sanctuary. The non-indigenous species will be handed over to the Central Zoo.

Indian traders Firoj, Raja and Naushad were found keeping 300 birds which are illegally trafficked from India. Birds such as Munia, Blossom Headed Parakeet, Baya Weaver and Budgi Gus were kept in small cages and some of them were suffering from serious health problems.

The raid proves once again that Nepal has become a hub for bird smuggling. Each day, traders sell hundreds of birds in major cities of the nation, making a mockery of laws that prohibit trade in birds.

May 15, 2011 - Donkeys in pants

 AN editor

The three rescued donkeys that were adopted by Pauline’s Guesthouse are doing very well. The managers of the resort have even fitted them with special ‘trousers’ to avoid mosquito bites. Blind Naina looks quite fashionable in her new pants….Thanks Pauline!

May 12, 2011 – Animal Nepal vet joins VPAT conference

 AN editor

Dr Surendra Basyal, vet coordinator of our stray dog programme, today returned from Thailand where with the support of WSPA he joined the annual Veterinary Practitioners Association of Thailand (VPAT) conference. Dr Surendra returned refreshed and excited about the new knowledge and skills he acquired at the conference. He is especially impressed with his new knowledge about current techniques in wound management, autoimmune skin disease and basic requirements for emergency practice etc. Dr Surendra enjoyed exchanging knowledge with colleagues from all over the world. Thank you WSPA!

April 30, 2011 - World Vet Day celebrated in Nepalgunj

 AN editor

Today our staff in Nepalgunj participated in a rally to celebrate World Veterinary Day 2011. Using the slogan “One world, one health, Rabies eradication is our goal” over 200 people from different Government and NGOs rallied for more awareness on rabies. The march started from DLSO office and moved through the main chowks of Nepalgunj, including the area where equine owners live. The closing ceremony was addressed by DLSO chief Dr. Puspa Prasad Shrestha, who remarked that “a society and its people will only be healthy when its animals are healthy. The cruelty against animals should be stopped and we must raise our voices for animal rights.”

April 12, 2011 – Chobar Animal Sanctuary gets a facelift

 AN editor

Today renovations have started at the Chobar Animal Sanctuary. Thanks to a generous grant from 30 Million d’Amis the compound will be paved, fenced and the kennels tiled. We will build six extra kennels for sick and injured dogs, a store room and install solar lights and AC in the operation theater. We also plan to create a lab with microscope to improve our diagnostic skills. Last but not least we will create flower beds to create an even better atmosphere for our staff and furry friends!

April 9, 2011 – Animal Nepal staff dance for clean and green bricks

 AN editor

“Say no to blood bricks: use clean and green bricks.” This was the message of a stunning flashmob with 200 dancers in which our staff participated with much enthusiasm. The main purpose was to promote the Brick Clean Network, and its national consumer campaign. The Network was created by organizations such as Animal Nepal working in brick factories to promote socially responsible brick making. Some 200 dancers danced to a choreographed flashmob dance on two locations: Kathmandu Durbar Square and Jawalakhel Football Ground. Thousands of people witnessed the programme which apart from Nepal’s first ever flashmob, included a photo exhibition by Achinto and a contemporary art performance by Karl Knapp. Watch the historic flashmob here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9dfJaOK4xM

April 9, 2011 – Working with animals can be therapeutic!

 AN editor

Today over fifty recovering drugs users listened to a presentation about working with animals at Richmond Fellowship Nepal. The rehab place is located close to our animal sanctuary. The main motto was ‘Volunteering saves lives and can save yours too’. Education Officer Sushma Maharjan shared how volunteering helped her to recover from breast cancer. Volunteer Director Lucia de Vries shared some stories about the dogs at the shelter and gave tips on how to work with animals. We hope to receive the Richmond volunteers soon!

8 April, 2011 – Four horses rescued from Nagarkot

 AN editor

Animal Nepal today rescued four horses from Nagarkot. They were used for rides by tourists but were in a sad state after being abandoned by their owner. The horses have gone wild and are presently being trained by Tek Bahadur Bhandari. After they fully recover and have calmed down we will be looking for good homes for them!

April 2, 2011 – Fun time at the brick factory

 AN editor

Today, at Bol Bum brick factory, an unusual scene could be seen. A group of around thirty donkey handlers, aged 8-18, were standing in a circle, holding hands. They were having a fun time, playing games, eating good food, trying their hand at simple writing skills, and listening to a new message: “Don’t beat your donkey!”

Animal Nepal today launched a novel pilot project for children who are employed in brick factories to handle working equines. During Saturday workshops, Animal Nepal provides the boys a much needed break by offering games, artwork, snacks and a chance to learn the Nepalese alphabet. The boys at the same time learn how to take good care of the animals.

The handlers at Bol Bum brick factory respond with much enthusiasm and have stopped the beatings. Using discarded plastic bottels and pebbels they invented a simple instrument to make the donkeys move, by sound!

April 1, 2011 – Rescued donkeys find a new home at Pauline’s Guesthouse

 AN editor

It sounds like an April Fool’s joke but it isn’t. Today two of our donkeys, Bibi and blind Naina, as well as a mule foal called Shakti , today moved to a resort on the edge of the Valley.

The lucky threesome was adopted by the two managers of Pauline's Guesthouse, both called Pauline. It was an unnerving journey for the threesome but it was worth it! The resort prepared a cosy shed for them, which they will share with two very curious dogs.

Bibi and Shakti will join short trekkings with tourists in the nearby Shivapuri National Park. We wish the threesome a happy stay at Pauline’s Guesthouse!

March 31, 2011 – Students vets exposed to equine welfare

 AN editor

Today we welcomed a group of 30 upcoming vets from the Himalayan College for Agriculture Studies (HICAST). The students in the morning participated in a workshop on Working Equine Welfare, presented by visiting equine specialist Dr Ramesh Kumar (Donkey Sanctuary India) and Animal Nepal staff Dr Sudeep, Krishna and Lucia. During a visit to Bol Bom brick factory the students got a chance to treat injured working equines. At our donkey sanctuary they got a chance to come face to face with our residents, 13 rescued horses, mules and donkeys. A few students have committed to working with us as a volunteer.

March 14, 2011 - Maiti: holy but abandoned

 AN editor

This morning we received a phone call from St Xaviers college in Maitighar. A male calf was hit by a car and had broken its front leg. The students were keeping the calf in a safe place. Our vets rescued the calf, now known as Maiti, and plastered its leg. At the shelter our staff developed a simple support system, allowing the injured calf to stand up every three hours. Maiti is recovering fast and feels at home at our Animal Sanctuary. Even though the cow is considered holy in Nepal, stray cows suffer tremendously, especially in the cities. Abandoned calves rummage through garbage, while old cows can be found sleeping on the hot tarmac. We wish Maiti a speedy recovery!

50 dogs vaccinated at annual camp in Chobar

 AN editor

Today we organized our annual vaccination camp in Chobar, the village where our animal shelter is located. With the help of Chobar Youth Club and vet technician Rajendra Bista from Department of Livestock Services we vaccinated 49 dogs (community and pet dogs). A total of 11 dogs were treated, most of them for open sores and skin infections. Animal Nepal last year launched its Chobar Rabies Free programme. Together with the community we aim to make Chobar rabies free within three years.

March 5, 2011 - AN celebrates Losar with arrival of cancer dog

 AN editor

Today we celebrated Losar or Tibetan New Year by welcoming a male dog suffering from skin cancer and tumours in both eyes. The dog was found by a Tibetan family living in Boudha. "We fed the dog for many weeks but could no longer endure the fact that he was becoming blind and suffered from terrible skin ulcers," the family said. Losar, as the dog has been named, will be treated with chemotherapy. We wish him a speedy recovery!

March 3, 2011 - Nepali girl rescues drowning puppy

 AN editor

Babita, a 9-year old from Chobar, last night rescued a puppy from the Bagmati river. The puppy,who suffered from pneumonia and skin problems, was thrown into the river in a jute bag. Babita heard the puppy crying and convinced her sister to wade into the river to catch it.

The young animal rescuer then washed the puppy with warm water and took it to our shelter. Here the puppy immediately received medical treatment.

Babita is very happy that the puppy could be saved. "I am angry with the people who did this. Why would anyone want to kill a puppy in such a cruel manner?" she says. Babita has named the puppy Babu. Animal Nepal will provide the brave rescuer with a certificate and enlarged portraits of Babita and Babu.

February 28, 2011 - AN team organizes camp in Patan Dokha

 AN editor

Today Animal Nepal organized its monthly health camp in Patan Doka, where it presently conducts its Animal Birth Control and Anti Rabies programme. A total of 38 dogs vaccinated while 12 dogs got treated. Among the cases was a dog with water retention in the abdominal part, one with an eye infection, and other patients with wounds and skin infections. The team also handed out brochures and provided education on pet care and dog bites.

January 7, 2011 - Shelter welcomes rickets patient

 AN editor

Today the Chobar Animal Sanctuary welcomed Ricky, a puppy with a serious form of rickets. Rickets is a bone and muscle condition caused by a lack of nutritious food. Ricky's front legs are bended severely. Still, the puppy loves running around the shelter, especially when food is involved! Ricky is being treated with vitamins and calcium. We hope his front legs will soon be back in shape!

26 January - Animal Nepal organizes health camp in Banglamukhi

 AN editor

Today Animal Nepal organised its monthly community health camp in Banglamukhi, close to the famous Patan temple which is very popular with young visitors. While we catch female dogs for spaying and vaccination, we also organise health camps, in close collaboration with the local community. With the help of Banglamukhi locals we treated seven sick or injured dogs and vaccinated 28 (both stray and pets). We provided various education materials to the local community, including a leaflets about the importance of dog population control and ways to avoid dog bites.

January 6, 2011 - Animal Nepal organizes workshop for vets

 AN editor

Today volunteer vet Dr Ramona Deiss organized a workshop on pain management and euthanasia at Animal Nepal. Vets from different shelters and practices joined the discussion on how to best prevent pain and discomfort, and how to euthanize a suffering animal. Dr Ramona used manuals from WSPA and AAHA/AAFP. 

The participants concluded that Nepalese vets would be helped with tools such as a oesophageal stethoscope as it is challenging to judge the state of the animals just from observation. Dr Ramona stressed the importance of somebody always being by the side of the anesthetized animals, watching out for subtle signs of the animal waking up and catching it BEFORE it starts moving.

December 26 – Dutch couple builds recreational objects

 AN editor

Eric Schloesser and Judith de Vries during their holiday in Nepal build several  recreational objects for the dogs at our shelter. With the Chobar Animal Sanctuary overfilled with puppies the new objects are high in demand! They also piloted our 2-day donkey trek to the Summit Village Resort. Eric and Judith designed a simple catching device for stray dogs and donated two of these to Animal Nepal. Thank you Eric and Judith!

December 25 – A dangerous road trip from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu

 AN editor

Dr Sudeep Koirala during Christmas travelled with some of the equines from Nepalgunj to Kathmandu and discovered that both equines and their owners are abused in the process. The donkeys were cruelly pulled into the truck by their tails and ears. During the 33 hour journey the animals were provided nor with water nor with food. The driver drove like a madman, injuring a donkey and a horse in the process. Sadly two horses were injured and died after their arrival. One horse became fully blind and was taken to our sanctuary, where it died a week later from internal injuries. The equine owners, apart from paying NRs 35.000 (€ 350) for truck hire, paid an additional NRs 45.000 (€ 450) for fees and bribes to government officials and unidentified gangs while transporting the equines to Kathmandu.

December 26 - Animal Nepal introduces Walking with Donkeys programme

 AN editor

As the donkeys at our sanctuary are in need of some excitement and more exercise, Animal Nepal introduced a novel Walking with Donkeys programme.

The treks will also help to raise some extra funds to improve the infrastructure. With the help of equine trainer Tek Bahadur Bhandari we build a rank and started training the residents from September onwards. The Summit Village Resort at Lamatar was interested in supporting the novel project.

The staff build a donkey shelter where the long ears can spend a warm and comfortable night. Krishna and Fuzz were selected by Bhandari to join the first 2-day pilot walk. A group of friends walked from the donkey sanctuary to the resort. It was a wonderful trek.

The donkeys were so excited that once we unloaded the luggage and gave them a free reign they ran up the Rishi Danda hill! Krishna and Fuzz enjoyed their night at the resort. We brought choker and lots of fresh vegetables. The staff also organised hay for the donkeys to munch on at night.

December 25 – Eight puppies still looking for a home

 AN editor

Of the 42 puppies that we rescued on December 10 only eight are still looking for a good home. We request the public to help out by volunteering and adopting a puppy. We want all the dogs to have a home by the end of 2010!

The puppies have been treated and dewormed, and those who survived are in excellent health. Thanks to our kind staff and volunteers they are fully socialised and love to play and run!

We are confident that if you visit our sanctuary you will find a puppy of your choice. They are between 4-7 weeks old and are mixed breeds with Tibetan mastiff and other pure breed influence.

We will provide you with a health card and -if needed- follow up medical care. Female puppies will be spayed for free when they are 4/5 months old.

For more information contact Krishna Singh at 9841-334537. The sanctuary is located in Chobar, behind Modern Indian School. For more info visit www.adoptanepalidog.info

December 10 – Animal Nepal and Roots and Shoots rescue 42 puppies

 AN editor

Thousands of Nepalese stray puppies have been sold as ‘Himalayan breeds’ in India in the past decade. This was found when Animal Nepal and Roots and Shoots exposed the illegal trafficking of Nepalese dogs to India by rescuing 42 puppies in two raids last night. The puppies were destined for Sonepur Mela, Asia’s largest animal fair, held annually in Bihar

Animal welfare groups for some time suspected that illegal trafficking of Nepalese puppies to India was going on but were unable to expose the trade. Traders collect stray puppies from the streets of Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur districts and promote them as special Himalayan breeds in India.

Traders Mohammed Sagir, Aka Kallu Miya, Mohammed Ali and Mohammed Nasin, when reporting at the police, said that in the past years they were never asked any questions by Nepalese or Indian authorities. Some of the traders were arrested for bird smuggling in the past but were released as the police deemed the confiscated bird species not important enough for prosecution.

The puppies are cramped in mesh wire cages and transported on top of public buses from Kathmandu to Sonepur in Bihar via Malangala in Siraha. “The puppy trafficking, apart from being illegal, is an extremely cruel business. The majority of puppies are no longer alive when the consignment arrives in Sonepur. They die due to cold, weakness and a lack of food. Most puppies are not properly weaned and don’t stand a chance in the first place,” says Manoj Gautam from Roots and Shoots Nepal.

Last night 37 puppies were rescued from a bus ready to depart from Kalanki bus station while five more were taken from the traders'. They are presently being treated at Animal Nepal’s Chobar Sanctuary.  According to Managing Veterinarian Dr Surendra Basyal the condition of the puppies is appalling. “Some of the puppies are properly weaned. Some are as young as three weeks. When we opened the jute covered cages the puppies were totally wet from sweating. One was squeezed to death. I cannot imagine that any of them would have survived the long journey to Sonepur.”

Volunteer directors Pramada Shah and Lucia de Vries request the public to come to the rescue by adopting a puppy. “The popularity of Nepalese stray puppies in India shows that Nepal’s mixed breeds are as handsome as any pure breed,” they argue. 

November 24 – Gadhimai Festival remembered

 AN editor

On November 24 and 25 Animal Nepal commemorated the ‘world’s largest animal sacrifice’ which took place at Gadhimai Festival a year earlier. They did so by lighting candles in the memory of each animal killed. The Animal Welfare Network Nepal announced a grassroots movement in Bara and Parsa districts to promote vegetarian sacrifices during the next Gadhimai festival, scheduled for 2014.

"I felt at peace for the first time after witnessing some of the gruelling killings a year ago," said AN Volunteer Director Pramada Shah after the lighting of 250,000 oil lamps at the Gadhimai temple. "What made me feel even better was that the priest who presided over the killings this time conducted our ritual," added Shah. Chief priest Mangal Chaudhary helped the campaigners to make vegetarian offerings to the image of the goddess Gadhimai and presided over the 'lakh batti balne' (lighting of lamps) ritual. 

According to Shah the ritual needed to take place: "In our culture we remember living beings by lighting lamps. It is also a way to purify the area, which was awash with blood a year ago and continues to see regular animal sacrifices," says AN's director.

Executive member Manoj Gautam together with campaign coordinators Santosh Khatiwada and Krishna Singh facilitated two interaction programmes in Bara and Parsa districts. Apart from State Minister Karima Begum the meetings were attended by political and religious leaders, business people and representatives from the District Administrative Office, Department of Livestock , various NGOs and the media.

State Minister Begum said animal sacrifice cannot be stopped but promised her support to the campaign.

AWNN with the help of  local NGO Janahit Sanchar will launch a 4-year social mobilisation programme to support a grassroots movement against animal sacrifice.

Pramada Shah's article on the Gadhimai anniversary called 'Never Again' can be read here:

 http://www.ekantipur.com/2010/11/24/oped/never-again/325508/

November 4 – Nepalgunj programme taking wings

 AN editor

Today our team returned from Nepalgunj, Nepal’s main equine bazaar. Here thousands horses, mules and donkeys are prepared for various jobs, including hauling bricks in brick factories in Kathmandu Valley. 

Last year, after being shocked into action, Animal Nepal, with the help of Donkey Sanctuary UK and India, launched a local outreach program. We found that during off season donkeys are abandoned on the streets. They suffer from injuries, malnutrition, dehydration and gastric problems including colic.

Our staff Dr Prateeva and Surendra work day and night to improve the conditions.

During our trip we mobilised the women of the impoverished donkey owners’ community for income generation. We also cleaned areas of plastic and created shift shelter. We requested the municipality to provide us with land for permanent homes for the donkeys. 

The day before leaving we held a press conference to create nationwide awareness.  Our work in Nepalgunj has taken wings!