October 2003

ABC in Kanchipuram

On August 25, 2003 the Blue Cross of India took up the mass sterilization and vaccination of street dogs in Kanchipuram district. The facilities of the Blue Cross at Kunnam village, 18 kms from Kanchipuram town, are being used for this programme at present. However, efforts are being made to get the Animal Husbandry hospital at Kanchipuram for this purpose.

During 2000-2001, the Kanchi District SPCA took up this programme with the active involvement of the Blue Cross of India. However, the programme was stopped when the Central Government stopped the funding to the SPCA after the first year. Cessation of the programme saw a major increase in the number of street dogs in Kanchi.

We are delighted that the Marchig Animal Welfare Trust has agreed to fund this project to cover 3000 dogs this year. A new Swaraj Mazda ambulance has been procured for this purpose. We are also delighted that a group of animal people from Kanchipuram have decided to start the Blue Cross of Kanchipuram to work with us to implement this project. Dr. Nanditha Krishna, who hails from Kanchi has been invited to be its President. Other members are Dr. C. K. Raman, Correspondent of the SSKV Schools in Kanchi and Kanchi journalist, Mrs. Uma Devi who has been elected as the Honorary Treasurer. It has also been decided by the Governing Body of the Blue Cross of India that the required facilities will be provided by the Blue Cross of India with the Blue Cross of Kanchi providing the required veterinarians and staff. The detailed modalities of the agreement are being worked out. We are also very pleased that many of the people involved with the Kanchi District SPCA have also joined us in this fresh initiative to help the people and dogs of Kanchipuram.

ABC in the Andamans

We were greatly distressed when we received reports of many dogs being slaughtered just prior to the Prime Minister’s visit to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands last year. When we contacted the District Administrator, we were told that several hundred dogs had been captured and kept “locked up” by the municipality and none were killed.

However, for the last many months, we have been trying to get the District Administration in Port Blair to take up an ABC-AR programme. Months of planning and discussions resulted in the ABC-AR programme being taken up on September 18th.

Dr. T. P. Sekar, our Chief Veterinarian and Johnson and Rajesh, two of our dog catchers went to the Andamans to help set up this programme. The required spay kits, medicines and vaccines were taken by Dr. Sekar and his team. We are thankful to Ms. Linda Fong of International Animal Rights Fund, San Francisco, who was in Port Blair for the programme and was able to take care of the post-op feeding of the animals.

The attitude of the Municipal Corporation at Port Blair left much to be desired in spite of the hard work and full co-operation of Dr. Baradhan, Senior Veterinary Surgeon of the Animal Husbandry Department(AHD). On Havelock Island, Dr. Mohammed of the AHD proved to be a very useful officer and helped Dr. Sekar sterilize over 125 dogs in three days. We are confident that the remaining 250 dogs on Havelock will be safely spayed by him in the next month or so and provide an opportunity to study the dynamics of a 100% spayed/neutered population.

Efforts are on to get Ms. Aparna Singh, a resident of Port Bair and a Master Trainer of the AWBI to form a local NGO who can take up this project.

Corporation Cattle Drive

Since the decision of the Chennai Corporation three months ago to ban the keeping of cattle within Chennai city limits, 1145 cattle have been seized by the Corporation. While the Corporation had decided to auction the seized cattle, the Commissioner agreed to our request to hand them over to us on the condition that we remove them from the city limits to our Kunnam shelter. The reason for our request was that if we did not ask for the cattle, young healthy cattle, most of them cows, would end up being slaughtered.

Additional sheds are being put in at Kunnam for these cattle. We are working with the Govardhan Trust to re-home these animals in various goshalas and our thanks are due to Mr. Natesan and Mr. S. Raghavan of Govardhan for all their help.

Bhubaneshwar Conference / Rabies Figures

The fifth national conference on rabies was held at Bhubaneshwar on July 5th and 6th, 2003. Our Chairman, Dr. S. Chinny Krishna, was invited to present a paper on the Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme and how it has brought down the incidence of rabies in those places where it is being implemented.

The results of the WHO-sponsored multi-centric survey of rabies in India were presented by Dr. M. K. Sudarshan. The well designed survey covered the period 1992-2002 and involved personal interviews with people from 84 communities - 63 rural and 21 urban. 52,731 persons were interviewed by trained interviewers from 21 medical colleges and other institutions.

The survey showed that the number of animal bites (mostly dog) and the incidence of human rabies in India was roughly the same each year over the ten year period covered. The number of cases of human rabies in 2002 was 17,371. However, in those cities where ABC-AR was being aggressively done, the number of dog bites and human rabies cases have declined sharply. Government of Tamil Nadu health ministry figures show 120 deaths from rabies in 1996 when the ABC-AR programme was taken up city-wide which has steadily dropped to 16 in 2002. In Jaipur, from 8.75 deaths in the five year period prior to ABC-AR, there has been a steady decline with no cases for the last 36 months. In Kalimpong, from 10 cases in 2000 when ABC-AR was taken up, there has been a drop to 5 cases in 2001 and no cases reported for the last 24 months. Dog bites in Kalimpong have dropped from 230 in 2000 to 25 in 2001 and 26 in 2002.

Dr. Dog

The Dr. Dog programme has been a huge success. However, we are unable to accommodate the many requests we have received for this programme to be introduced in various schools, hospitals and institutions since we do not have enough animals and their volunteer guardians.

Those having companion dogs who are super friendly with all people and who enjoy playing with people may wish to get in touch with Mrs. Vasanthi Rajiv at bluecross@aspick.com. Your companion dog will be carefully assessed and, if found suitable, will be certified as a Dr. Dog. The reward of seeing the joy with which you and your Dr. Dog are welcomed in a school or home for senior citizens will be ample repayment for the time and effort put in by you.

Greeting Cards

The Blue Cross has brought out greeting cards with reproductions of animal paintings by well known artist, Prof. A. V. Ilango. Winner of many prestigious prizes including the International Gold Medal at the Salon d’Automne of the European Academy of Arts, Paris, Prof. Ilango has generously donated part of his “Bull” and “Women” series to us. Members who would like to obtain these cards may please get in touch with our volunteers on 94440 18194 or 98400 21656.

Animal Sacrifice

The recent orders of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Selvi J Jayalalithaa, asking all the authorities concerned to strictly enforce the existing Act prohibiting the sacrificing of animals and birds in temples has been widely welcomed. While there have been many occasions since 1960 when the Blue Cross has got local authorities to enforce the Act, each occasion was marked by pleading with the local police and the District Collector and ended with the authorities stopping the sacrifice as though it was a favour being bestowed.

The enforcement has come not a day too soon. In the Tamil month of Aadi, thousands of buffaloes, goats and chicken are slaughtered in temples dedicated to Amman.

Temple Elephants

In another welcome move, the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu has ordered all temple authorities to ensure that the elephants kept in their temples are properly cared for. She has also insisted that all temple elephants be given a month’s vacation each year and that they be complete rest during this time.

Asia for Animals Symposium

The Second Asia for Animals Symposium was held in Hong Kong on . It was sponsored by Animals Asia Foundation, Hong Kong SPCA and Animal People. Dr. Chinny Krishna was invited to present two papers at this symposium.

About a hundred delegates from thirty organizations attended and seven organizations from India participated.

Well Dog Show

At the request of the Velammal Matric Higher Secondary School in Mogappair, we held the Well Dog Show on October 5 at their School. We are grateful to Dr. T. P. Sekar and Dr. Priyadarshini Govind for judging the over 85 entries and to Dr. P. Thangaraj, Dean of the Veterinary College who was the Chief Guest. Popular TV star, Mr. Vijay Adhiraj, who has been the proud owner of several mongrels, gave away the prizes. We also wish to thank Mrs. Nora Subramani and Vivek and Co for all their help.

33 puppies were adopted during this programme and their owners join the ranks of thousands of happy owners of all-Indian dogs. We are especially happy at the many students and their parents who came forward to announce that they would not buy any dogs in future but adopt them from animal shelters or take in a street dog.

Special thanks to…

As most of you know, much of the work of the Blue Cross is done by a group of highly dedicated volunteers. Many, like Ms. Saroja and Ms. Shanthi Shankar, visit the shelters every day and spend several hours each visit. Shanthi and Gayathri devote much of their time to the mange ward, a very difficult and demanding job. Ms. Chanda Walke, Ms. Sudhersena of the cat shelter, Ms. Krithikka for the squirrels, Mr. Raghavan who takes care of the feeding, and Mrs. Gnanalochani and Ms. Suchitra who help out with the abandoned and rescues pedigree adoptions - all contribute their time and effort and tender loving care without which the best doctors and medicines mean nothing. These are the regulars and another two dozen work behind the scenes to ensure that so much gets done - from collecting old newspapers to food, from giving talks to various groups to collecting contributions - and ensuring that many more animals get some help and protection. Many of them are just a phone call away at any time and only lack of space restricts us from naming them individually.

S. S. Nathan
11.4.29- 28.9.2003

It was with deep regret that we heard about the passing away at Penang, Malayasia of Mr. S. S. Nathan on September 28, 2003. His body was flown down and cremated in Chennai.

A life member of the Blue Cross for over 25 years, he fed at least 70 street dogs everyday and all the shelter dogs at the Blue Cross Guindy center on two days every week. He and his wife worked from 4 A.M. on these days to lovingly prepare the food for the Blue Cross.

He leaves behind his wife Mrs. Indira and nine rescued dogs in his home at Besant Nagar.

We pray that his soul rest in peace