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
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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 editorToday 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 editorMaiti, 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 editorThe 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 editorDr 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 editorToday 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 editorToday 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 editorToday 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 editorAnimal 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 editorToday 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 editorThis 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 editorToday 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 editorToday 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 editorToday 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.
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January 7, 2011 - Shelter welcomes rickets patient
AN editorToday 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 editorToday 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 editorDr 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!
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