The month of August coincides with the sacred month of Shravan in the Hindu calendar, which brings with it a lot of Shiva devotees from all over the country into Varanasi in their orange attire and festive spirits. Overall, it increases the chaos in the city – if such a thing were possible! Our team of staff and volunteers were very busy this month, as the monsoons brought with them many cases of maggots, ticks and fleas.
First Aid: Over a hundred first aid treatments were performed in August! Here are some highlights:
Casper, Sheru and Choti – The month began with a well-coordinated effort by the group of volunteers that we have been cultivating – it saved the lives of 3 orphaned pups, who would have otherwise died beside their mother who had sadly passed away. A local contacted our team and they sprang into action. The pups were cared for in a foster home and they’ve now since been adopted!
Tommy – An abandoned dog named Tommy was suffering from maggots and tick fever. A team of volunteers provided him with a lot of care and treatment, and he was later adopted by a loving family!
Lali – A paralyzed pup named Lali was found bleeding from a lacerated wound. She was picked up by members of our network and taken to a vet who successfully amputated the damaged limb. Now Lali can be seen walk around on her three remaining legs.
Shiro and Tuffy – Two pups were treated for gastroenteritis, which can be fatal if left untreated. They are on the road to recovery.
Ravi Babu – Street dog Ravi Babu was treated for a deep maggot wound.
It’s so great to visibly see the work that our volunteers are doing, and even having tourists join in to help!
Building Capacity: A first aid workshop was carried out by Pushparag, one of the members of the network, at Gowdolia near the ghats on August 25th. Accompanied by rain, the group of local residents treated dogs suffering from skin infections. Tourists in the area also joined the treatment and were happy to see that there were people who cared about animals in Varanasi.
Help us help the animals!
- For individuals in Varanasi who want to help street dogs, please contact our Helpline at 9919783355.
- For individuals who can contribute financially to the project costs, please click here to make a donation – every little bit helps! We thank everyone in advance for their support!
Thank you to our partners, the Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations, Animal Aid Unlimited and Mayhew International.