idaianimals

Mom and Pups at Deonar

2012-02-02T05:59:00.000-08:00

This is one super mom. Her little ones have been so well looked after inspite of the fact that she has been at our Centre, somewhat confined, for about a month. The first male got adopted last week and the second went to his new home yesterday. He's the handome brown pup standing by himself for the photo op. You can see the lovely little female, the biggest of the lot of the three bouncing babies. She is also the most playful and naughty and is still with mom, who is not complaining! Do hope we get a truly wonderful home for her as well.

Jojo in his Foster Home

2012-01-31T05:09:00.001-08:00

Jojo is becoming a big boy now but he still loves to play with all his toys. Now the one he favours is his panda who is as big as he is. It's good fun to play attack as the panda is so big and soft.
Jojo plays all by himself for about 15 minutes, roughing up each toy, rolling on his small carpet, and then he is ready for a nap. He is also skilled at 'fetch' when a small play rope, or any of his toys, thrown a distance away. The racing up and down to fetch the object is excellent exercise for this growing boy. Hope he has a lovely person out there, waiting to adopt him.

IDA India Workshop: Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Laws

2012-01-30T05:47:00.000-08:00

As part of the celebration of Animal Welfare Fortnight, IDA India held a Workshop on Laws to Prevent Cruelty to Animals. The aim was to try and understand the laws better and also figure out how to implement them when dealing with cruelty cases.

With two High Court Advocates, Mr Ashok Shahani and Ms Jennifer Michael, and the well-known activist, Mr Ajay Marathe, to guide us through the legal maze, the Workshop proved to be quite a success.

Participants were divided into groups and given various cases to deal with. After a fixed time, each Group Leader made a presentation of the case and how they had dealt with it. With valuable input from our three experts, we all came away with some idea of how to react in a difficult situation re cruelty.

The entire process will appear on our website, as our experts are still providing answers to questions re difficult situations which are quite common to all when it comes to animal suffering. That day we learnt some more about how we can go about stopping different kinds of cruelty. All our participants were inspiring in their own right. All of them quiet champions for the animals in their various localities.

BGWMM Day Continued

2012-01-24T00:48:00.000-08:00

Pictures you have to see. Lalu as usual was the star of the day. He has such a beautiful personality that everyone who meets him is a fan. He was bathed, groomed and then of course, he walked like a dream. This was unexpected as these dogs are not used to the leash. But no problem for Lalu. His aim in life is to please, and he does this with the greatest of ease.
In one pic you can see our little lhasa getting a bit of a shout from our Volunteer. She is a Groomer and had just given the lhasa a good drying out after the bath, with a hair dryer. The little thing objected vociferously! But look at her in the garden going through the next step in her grooming session. Now that she liked and the young lady enjoyed the session too!

BGWMM Day at IDA India Deonar Centre

2012-01-23T01:53:00.000-08:00

It was Bathing, Grooming, Walking and Medicated Massage Day at the Deonar Centre on Sunday, 22nd Jan. 26 Volunteers of all ages came in to share the work. It's true. Many hands make light work and it was light hearted as well. You can see the whole group at the end of it all, hands well washed, tired out after all the hard work. Jumpy and Chingut have managed to get into the pic as well.
In the other pictures you can see much of the activity. Show you all some more later. Now you can see Balu and Bruno having their baths, Jumpy being massaged with a special oil for his skin problem and two young volunteers, sitting on the warm stone bench, treating our small kittens with love and affection. One of the infants is paralysed and the hot bench is good for him in this cold season.
More to come. Pinky managed to escape all her well-wishers and went into hiding to avoid her bath. You will see her peeping out of the OT watching out for any signs of soap and towel!

IDA India Stall at ALM Powai, Eco Mela

2012-01-19T00:51:00.000-08:00

On Saturday 11th January, an Eco Mela was organised in Powai by the local ALM members as well as the BMC Officials in charge of waste management. IDA was there to inform people of how to be responsible Guardians of their animal companions. We distributed a carefully prepared leaflet dealing with many aspects of dog care, needs and responsiblities. We even made some hostile people smile a bit at the end of the discussions we had with them with regard to the presence of stray/community dogs in various localities.

IDA Foster Pup Jojo

2012-01-10T06:11:00.001-08:00

It's getting very cold and Jojo, Sara's little son, keeps bundled up for protection. At night and most times in the day, he can be found warm and snug in his little bed. This is a small plastic basin which protects a little guy like him from the cold. Puppies are always close to the ground so arrangements have to be made!
His small garment is made from an old T. Very handy to cut up and use for doggies and pups in the cold. The basin is also lined with old T material.
In the other picture you can see he likes to relax in the sun, just like the very old house dog relaxing near him. This is old Mylo's favourite spot, because of the sun and he gets very irritable when Jojo tries to get near him. The solution? Jojo's basin was shifted into the sunny spot as well and in the day he relaxes there along with Angry Bird and his other toys. Mylo's okay because then he doesn't bother him and everybody is happy (and warm).

Walking and Feeding an Abandoned Dog at Deonar

2012-01-10T05:58:00.000-08:00

This beautiful dog is the latest animal to be rescued from the streets. She is a mix - part Great Dane and requires three (3) kg food a day. Who in India can afford to feed a dog this amount of suitable food? So the result is this type of dog is always found and sometimes seen with the 'owner' in a state of positive starvation.
She has to be carefully fed at our Deonar Centre where she is housed. We give her food four times a day as her stomach has virtually disappeared it is so empty.
Besides this we take her for small walks around the Centre, which she enjoys. She is suffering from a mild case of mange and this is being treated. We are waiting for the day when she puts on weight and looks more like a genuine Great Dane.
These are magnificent dogs who really need enormous amounts of food and exercise, which they seldom get as pets.
Point to Ponder: A full grown well-fed Great Dane is the size of a small couch.

Chingut welcomes a Visitor to IDA Deonar

2012-01-04T22:35:00.000-08:00

Our little Chingut is so pleasant and makes a very happy Reception Committee of one. Here she is smiling and welcoming a visitor to IDA India Deonar in our small garden.
Many people come in just to check out the place and see what is going on. It is really good for the public to be aware of our work in animal welfare and slowly, become a welcome part of that work. We function so well because we have so many supporters, volunteers who really work hard and other people also working very hard quietly for street animals in their different areas of residence in the city.
When they do visit our Deonar Centre, the bonus is they get to meet the most wonderful dogs like Chingut, who are always there to remind us what a beautiful part of human life a little dog can be.

Group Visit to Deonar Centre

2012-01-03T05:49:00.000-08:00

It is truly amazing how many youngsters make time to visit our Deonar Centre. This group comprised students from different Institutes who came to Deonar for a Career Orientation Programme organised by skyKpaar. They were brought by a wonderful young couple who are totally engaged in social welfare activism, Monica and Chintan.
The students have been taken to different Companies and Organisations to widen their horizons and make them more socially aware.
They seemed to enjoy their visit to Deonar, explored the place and asked pertinant questions. One enlightening moment they experienced came when they were surprised to see on of our fat cats, casually sitting and cleaning himself in an exposed position, between our wandering Centre dogs who were quite okay with his presence.
A small lesson in how easy it is to get on with other species.

Christmas Week Adoptions

2011-12-31T05:17:00.001-08:00

Yes, that's Paulo. You saw him earlier under the Christmas Tree in the Deonar garden. He must have made a wish! This sweet person came and adopted him this morning and now he's got his very own home.
We wish him all the very best for a happy and comfortable future life.
Just to make sure everything is going well, our mobile van will visit Paulo in his new home and our Vet will check his health. Selvi our Asst will go along to check that conditions are as comfortable as they can be for this lovely little chap.
The young man below adopted a lovely little black pup who looks quite like a fox. From a litter of seven, born to a mother who suffers from tremors, he and his sister were the only survivors. This happens as from each litter, there are some pups who are too weak to make it. All the little ones were at our Centre for about a month. It is very difficult for a tiny animal to thrive and grow surrounded by hundreds of other animals, some of them injured or ill. This small chap made it: good for him. Now he also has a safe home and we will be in touch to see that all is well and he also enjoys his new life.

It's Nice to Have a Friend

2011-12-30T05:53:00.001-08:00

Thought it was that time of year to show all of you more pics of our resident dogs. Most of these guys (and girls) are here because they had been declared aggressive. See what happens when they get to meet caring members of the human race. They are absolutely socialised and friendly. Balu in the first picture is enjoying his session with Asst Selvi. He's a dear little dog with a back foot missing. This doesn't stop him rushing to where the action is!
Keeno is happy to sit with her friend, one of our younger wardboys who fits in very well at our Centre. Our Senior Wardboy is indulging Sanju with a tummy scratch and Bruno our big boy is always happy to bond with whoever is close by.
Last of all, is old Bharat, who is a little unwell because of the cold. He can't see from one eye but he looks as if he is enjoying the company of his young friend on the bench in the blind ward.

Christmas Week in the Deonar Garden

2011-12-29T05:41:00.000-08:00

Our labrador mix Maxine, enjoyed a walk around the Centre this morning, then she made an inspection of the garden. Our little Christmas tree is up all this week. Doesn't it look great? And best of all are the little charmers standing under the tree. Paulo is a beautiful male pup with light eyes to match his coat. He's very healthy and would love to be adopted.
Amber is a sweet little girl, found and rescued by another little girl in Powai. She kept her overnight safely in her home, and next day, Amber was brought to Deonar. All the pups have perfected the art of escaping into the garden - they just love to dig into the mud and smell the plants and sleep under the trees when they are tired. Amber is also a healthy happy puppy and we hope some wonderful person adopts her soon.

Christmas Eve Party at Deonar

2011-12-24T06:51:00.001-08:00

The small party was held in our little garden. Check out who is relaxing inside before the party started. Next picture shows our hard working Vets Dr.Shashikant and Dr. Parab enjoying a well earned break. Our Asst Selvi got a small gift for the hard work she does and the way she helped us out at the iDA Jumble Sale.
You can't see them in the pics, but the garden also had three small pups running around and playing while the guests had refreshments. Reminded me of those little kids who race around playing at wedding receptions. Not much difference at all!!

Time For Christmas Treats

2011-12-23T06:30:00.000-08:00

Pommy is so shy, that you can't make out that she has just enjoyed her Christmas treat, sent all the way to her from her loving Sponsor, Katrina, in Australia. In fact, Katrina sent treats for all three of her sponsor dogs and you can see how Prema enjoyed hers, licking her lips in anticipation of the next. Our Asst Selvi had fun feeding the treats to them one by one. And last but not least, old Jumpy enjoyed eating his as well.
Happy Christmas Guys. Eat up!!

In The Resident Cats' Enclosure

2011-12-23T06:19:00.001-08:00

There are always generous people thinking of us and this is how we got this comfortable chair at our Deonar Centre. At once we thought of installing it in the Resident Cats' enclosure as it looked like something the cats would truly appreciate. It is large, laidback and very comfortable with cushions on the back and seat.

The first to try it out was our lovely Snuggles, who instantly assumed a most comfortable position as only cats can do! This cat is handicapped, but you wouldn't notice. He has a front leg and one back foot missing; lost in a long ago accident. Snuggles does not find this a limitation. He leapt onto the new chair and made it his own! In a few minutes, he was joined by Tiger, who made him push up a bit so that he too could be quite comfy.

Footnote: Next day there were three cats on the seat and two seated underneath the chair itself, probably waiting in the queue. Cats love comfort, and we are more than happy that they just love this chair.

A Fond Goodbye to Our Deepak

2011-12-19T21:29:00.000-08:00

One of our much loved blind dogs, Deepak, passed away on Tuesday. He had been with us for many years as he was completely blind, perhaps born that way. Inspite of his handicap, he was one of our most handsome males. A spitz mix, he was of a very unusual colour - thick black coat and orange fur around the head and ears.

When we constucted the small garden at Deonar, Deepak became the most important visitor. He spent a lot of quality time in this small patch, patrolling all around, sniffing the plants and settling himself comfortably in the sunny patches or under the bushy plants if he felt hot. He also enjoyed the company of his human and doggy friends, the last being a sweet little female lhasa. His lack of sight did not diminish his own sweetness and he would eagerly come forward wagging his tail and searching aromas in the air if he had a friendly visitor. One could see Deepak "smiling' at these times.

We all wish him a fond goodbye. This little dog taught us compassion and patience, like so many other handicapped dogs and cats at our Centre. We will always love him and miss him. He had an official Guardian Angel on earth and we are sure this lovely dog has a heavenly one looking after him from the moment he left us.

Our Super Moms

2011-12-14T23:15:00.000-08:00

This mother has done such a good job of looking after her seven beautiful pups, that it is just amazing. The main reason being, that she had suffered from distemper some time in the past, had recovered, and then developed a side effect of this disease, namely constant tremors.
She has a great bunch of small pups who are growing well and each one looks so attractive. Now all we are waiting for are some deserving people to come along and adopt them one by one.
Below, you can see Asst Selvi holding the beautifully marked fluffy black female. This little one can be seen with one of her brothers, sitting on the bench in the garden.

Volunteers at Deonar

2011-12-14T06:49:00.000-08:00

In the first picture you can see our Volunteer Sayanti, who gives up many of her Sunday mornings to help out at the Centre. Priya, one of our Sponsor dogs, is enjoying the pat on the head. They all really love human company!
Payal, in the picture below, is a busy physiotherapist, who also finds time on Sundays to come to the Centre. IDA India is blessed to have such dedicated people who all subscribe to the cause of animal welfare.
There is lots of work for volunteers to do and those who are serious about this work are more than welcome. Each one becomes quite an expert after some guidance and practice and being among these sweet animals is extremely rewarding. The pictures say it all!

Our IDA India Intern

2011-12-14T06:41:00.000-08:00

Meet Pranitha, our very first Intern, busy learning the ropes at our Deonar Centre. She is very young but also very enthusiastic in everything she does and we really appreciate having her working for us at the Centre. This is an assignment she has to complete for her course in college and she chose to work in the field of animal welfare.

Pranitha helps out with the young ones at the Centre and has become quite an expert in infant handling. She is also busy on the computer working out projects to take animal welfare into schools and doing a good job of it too. Recently, she helped out all day at the IDA India Pre-Christmas Jumble Sale. It's great having an Intern and we are thankful that Pranitha chose our NGO to work with.

Ain't She Sweet?

2011-12-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

This abandoned Lhasa Apso, rescued by IDA at the height of the monsoon, has turned out to be a real bundle of joy. She's so happy when she has visitors, many people like to go and check her out, that she keeps bouncing up and down on her hind legs, small front paws in the air.
Her eyes were crusted and closed when she was brought in, now with lots of love and care, she is bright-eyed and bushy tailed! This is her favourite perch, up in the world, on top of the medicine chest in the Puppy Pen.
We are really happy for her as she has recently got a good home where she will be well cared for.

Sara's Charming Son

2011-12-12T06:40:00.000-08:00

While his mum recovers from her grievous injury at our Deonar Centre, this little chap is safe and comfy in a foster home. He's really tiny but that doesn't stop him from racing as fast as his little legs can take him, whenever food is around! He has a hearty appetite and enjoys his baby mix as well as steamed carrots, which he loves.
He's very strong and playful and manages to pull a small carpet backwards right across the room to his playing area. If he manages to find a shoe, even though it is twice his whole body size, he manages to drag this also.
He visits his mum every few days at the Centre and we noticed, he has the same lovely eyes as she has. But while she is calm, beautiful and elegant, this naughty chap is a little devil. He'll be up for adoption in a couple of weeks time. Until then he will be treated with loving care.

IDA India Pre-Christmas Jumble Sale

2011-12-12T06:25:00.000-08:00

Our Jumble Sale was quite a success and over a period of two days, 10th and 11th Dec, we managed to sell a lot of our wonderful IDA India merchandise, some great other items on sale, including some lovely clothes and a set of tablas (!) check them out in the picture below. Yes, they were sold! We also had a wonderful collection of books going very cheap.
All our volunteers worked very hard throughout the days, setting up everything in readiness, selling things enthusiastically to visitors and also educating the public on various matters re animal welfare. Poonam, Angel, Anisha, Vasuda, Sharmee and our Intern, Pranitha along with our Asst Selvi, worked very hard to make this event a success. Everything we earned will go towards the care and welfare of all the hundreds of animals we are responsible for and we are thankful to all the members of the public who took the trouble to come to the Sale.

Miss Beautiful Eyes

2011-12-12T06:15:00.000-08:00

When this little pup was first brought into our Deonar Centre she had been rescued after being knocked down on the road by an unknown vehicle. For days she just lay helplessly on her side, crying piteously. The crying would magically stop as soon as she was picked up by one of the staff. She just wanted to be held. As she lay on the ground, her head at an odd angle, her lovely eyes would follow us everywhere and she used them to very good effect! Somebody or the other would pick her up for a cuddle.
We treated her carefully and were very glad when she started eating by herself and slowly trying to sit up. One day she actually managed to stand and take a few wobbly steps! After that she has been walking around the puppy pen, even engaging in play with the other young ones. Our homeopathic treatment of these little ones, always helps a lot and all of us were so happy when she got back her balance, strength and health. She's a real charmer!

Latest Family at Deonar

2011-12-06T06:51:00.000-08:00

These beautiful pups are three from a litter of seven who all arrived when their mom was brought in a bad condition to our Deonar Centre. She had contracted distemper earlier, had recovered and is now suffering from an inevitable condition that follows this sickness. She suffers from tremors which don't stop. Inspite of this, she is an exceptional mother and all seven are thriving, even the two tiny runts of the litter. The big boys and girls are quite like bear cubs and are all those irresistable puppy types. Mom is fast running out of milk, they are all growing fast and ravenous, so we have to supplement their diet with weaning food. They have started walking and playing with each other now and will soon be ready for adoption. Wish them luck and good health.

Compassion at Work

2011-12-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

We were all horrified when this poor dog was brought to the Centre at Deonar. She was lying helplessly on her side, eyes completely sunken, breathing her last. We were shocked because we could see she had a very old injury; as you can see in the picture, her right foot as probably lost in a railway accident on the tracks. Worse still, she had small puppies about three weeks old. The only consolation was that some kind person had taken the trouble to inform us and call the ambulance after seeing her plight. If this had not happened, one shudders to think what would have happened to her and her three little ones.
But she reached our Centre and treatment started.
She was in the last stages of starvation. Fortunately she responded to treatment and in a few hours, could sit up and eat some food. We feed her multiple times a day and it is proving to be a difficult haul for her. She is a very tall and slender dog, with a beautiful long face and almond shaped eyes which in a few days, became brown and glowing. Of her three little ones, all in bad condition as she had no milk whatsoever, two passed away after a few days in the puppy pen. They eagerly had their formula, slept close to their mom, played a little - puppies are like that. But we lost them. The third was taken into foster care as he managed to pull through. More snaps of him later in his foster home. He's a real cutie.
We thought his mom would benefit if we arranged for them to meet now and then. You can see in the pics that both of them enjoy the visits! She has improved now and loves to sit or lie in a sunny corner. She finishes all her food with relish. Her poor leg will have to be dealt with if she recovers fully.
All involved are totally concerned about this elegant dog who has suffered so silently. She has not even whimpered, not even during treatment. She has somehow brought out such concerned feeling among all those who surround her, even the wardboys want her to be as comfortable as possible and recover as soon as she can, and this is what we are all working for. She likes to be petted and her eyes say it all. She knows she is safe with us, loved and card for.

Banned In 2007 !

2011-11-20T06:13:00.000-08:00

Check the temperature every day for the next week in Mumbai, exactly at 12.00 noon. That's when this elephant was being walked down the main road in the middle of Powai, day before yesterday. The road surface is burning hot but that doesn't matter to the "mahouts" sitting high up in the air, on the poor creature's back.
Of even less interest to them is the ban that was instituted in July 2007 on plying captive elephants on city roads. This has been so ineffective, that the senior-most forest official himself has expressed helplessness and suggested that the ban be lifted!
IDA India is taking action against this. Forest officials are supposed to be qualified to deal with any problem regarding wildlife and we want to remind them that this specific problem, namely captive elephants being made to walk all over Mumbai and the surrounding areas, whatever the weather, however heavy the traffic and the crowds of people all over the place, had better be dealt with, and fast. Maharashtra has no Rescue Centre for elephants and we are campaigning for one to be opened. If this happens, then the forest officials can arrest the mahout and offending "owner" of the animal, fine them, imprison them for keeping the elephant captive in the most horrendous conditions, and finally send the rescued elephant to the Rescue Centre.
At present they are 'helpless' because nobody, namely the police and the forest officials, knows what on earth to do with an elephant that they might rescue.

IDA Foster Kitten at "Home"

2011-11-11T05:51:00.000-08:00

This pretty kitty is in fine shape and health thanks to the foster care she has been enjoying in IDA volunteer, Karan's home. When she first went into foster care, straight from the Centre, where she had been living for about two weeks, she was very sick with a terrible cold and chest. But with Karan's devoted care and nurturing, she managed to shake off the life-threatening symptoms and now is as playful as curious as any normal kitten usually is. Check out the first picture, where she manages to sit very comfortably, inspecting everything on the small table.
She loves to lounge on the comfortable bed or couch, and again, like any other cat, sitting in absolute comfort, she looks a pure work of art.
She's waiting to be adopted. As soon as she finds a permanent home, Karan will take another needy kitten home to foster. He's a wonderful example to all who are toying with the idea of fostering a small animal. He doesn't hesitate and enjoys the whole experience. Way to go, Karan! May your tribe increase!!

Alyosius Club Visits the IDA Centre

2011-11-08T23:42:00.000-08:00

This small band of intrepid visitors made it to our Deonar Centre on 23rd October, to meet the different types of animals and find out about the work we do. After a small session in the garden when they were informed a little about how IDA India started and the many projects it is engaged in at the moment, the group had a conducted tour of the premises.
There are two picture because both include the resident dogs. In the first you can see two oldies. In the second, check out the German Shepherd. He's a magnificent looking dog, and he is at the Centre because he was abandoned. He happened to develop the sad medical condition that many GAs suffer from. His back legs are weak and bent. This is a genetic defect due to careless breeding.
Also in the pictures are Dr. Nitin, in pale orange shirt, and Selvi, our capable Assistant who is in charge of the puppy pen. She's near Dr.N, and dressed in blue.

These good people enjoyed the visit and brought a lot of goodies for the dogs and cats. We like to have visitors - all feedback we receive is valuable as it helps us to try and keep on improving the way the Centre is run.

Ginger Still in Foster Care

2011-11-07T05:57:00.001-08:00

Don't miss Ginger's tail. It's one inch long and is his unique feature! He also has a lovely coat, yes it's a nice ginger colour and he also has beautiful orange eyes. As you can see from the first picture, he's quite a wretch and very playful. This is one of his favourite 'fetch' toys and he can play this game endlessly. It is one way of giving him extra exercise - he is growing by leaps and bounds and needs a lot of vigorous play, besides three walks a day.
He has learnt to a walk on the leash and does it quite stylishly.This is his favourite place to sit as he loves the great outdoors. Loves checking out birds and feeling the cool breeze as he watches the world go by. As all motherless pups who lack immunity, Ginger had developed a bad skin problem earlier, but he has completely recovered now and looks great. Now he is just waiting to be adopted.

Young Volunteers at Work : Deonar

2011-11-07T05:41:00.001-08:00

There was plenty of help at IDA Deonar on Friday and Sunday and the young animals had a nice time being bathed, groomed and then getting nice and warm, sitting on the garden bench.
Pathir and Manoshri saw to the tiny pups, one of whom just needed to be held. that's a wonderful benefit to the infant, in itself, feeling the warmth of another living being. The two kittens in the first picture are beautiful but both of them have paralysed back legs. They are given a vigorous 'half' bath during which the hind quarters are massaged and well washed. This helps their stomachs to work a bit, as there is no natural movement whatsoever in the lower half of their bodies. Then they are dried and placed on the hot garden bench in the sun. They enjoy this and it really helps them to warm up. They often take a dive off the bench. These kittens are surprisingly agile! We take care to see that there are no big dogs around.
Our other volunteer, Sayanthani works during the week and spends some of her Sunday holiday helping out at the Centre. That's devotion for you! After doing a lot of other work, you can see her encouraging the puppies to play in the puppy pen.
Look closely at the last picture and look who is sharing the bench with the two volunteers and the pups - the little paralysed kitten!

Motherless Tinies at Deonar

2011-10-31T06:13:00.000-07:00

All three of these pups came to Deonar because they had lost their mothers. The white and the snoozing cream pup are siblings found at a construction site beside their mother who had died for want of food. This probably happened because of their location. Not much to eat on a construction site, poor thing. After the pups were brought to our Centre, the little white, seen above, and standing by himself on a bench, got adopted and is doing well.
The little cream coloured pup, as beautiful as she was, remained unwell for some time and then we lost her.
This handsome brown pup is now in foster care, thankfully, and is waiting for one of you to adopt him. Don't forget - the decision to adopt an Indian dog, will be one of the wisest you ever made. They have been around for thousands of years, are real survivors and need now to be appreciated, cared for and nurtured by all of us who realize how valuable each of these animals really is.

Meet Our Animals : IDA Event on 9th October

2011-10-26T07:40:00.001-07:00

We do such a variety of work at IDA Deonar with different animals, that we thought we would invite the public in on Sunday 9th October to showcase some of that work. In the first pic you can see a couple of our smallest patients. These two were born on a construction site and lost their mother. One of them has been adopted a week after this function was held and is in a safe loving home - our ultimate goal for all our little ones. Other infants come in because of broken limbs, bites, paralysis and other sad afflictions. We are happy to say that most of them reach that happily running around the puppy pen stage, even if they don't get adopted.
The rest of our work covers firstly the ABC operations of about 800 stray dogs a month. Mrs. Patkar, spoke about this major field of work for which the Centre exists. Besides this, we care for about 30 blind and handicapped dogs, our maggot wound dogs - the gladiators of the dog world who have to spend about 2 to 3 months with us until they are fully healed, accident cases, abandoned dogs, and finally our resident dogs - about 80 of them and resident cats.
In the picture below, you can see our Chief Guest, Inspector Chaudhary of Deonar Police Station handing over a gift and commendation letter to one of our Best Volunteers of 2011, Ms Manisha Nanda, who works tirelessly for all types of animals.
The second person to get this award was Ms Madhu Roy. What would we do without these wonderful volunteers?
Another honoured guest was Advocate Ashok Shahani who is always there to guide us in legal matters and is one of our staunch supporters. Will post a few pics later of the other guests and our "demo" dogs and cat and also our great audience who hopefully enjoyed themselves.

Milo and Emma - Birthday Fosters!

2011-10-19T07:02:00.001-07:00

Milo is this lovely brown fluffy chap and Emma is the smooth white little female. A group of friends had the brilliant idea of taking them into foster care over the week-end as a birthday gift for their dear friend, who just loves animals but can't keep any pets at present. We were all for it, as a small holiday away from the puppy pen is not bad at all for our little ones. It really helps to socialize them, they have the lovely experience of being a in a real home and the fortunate ones who opt to take them home have a very nice time also.

The birthday gift was really appreciated and our two sweet pups had a rollicking time with the birthday girl and her friends. In fact, they got their names at this time.
Spent most of their time, eating, sleeping in the greatest comfort, playing with the toys provided and running about the house. This was one birthday gift that was enjoyed by all, the pups included.

Just a footnote: A few days after they returned to the Centre, Milo got adopted. He is now with a kind family, enjoying himself in his new home. Emma was not so fortunate, but we lavish as much care and love on all our little ones at Deonar, as we can so she also is comfortable and happy.

IDA India Campaign for Mumbai Captive Elephants

2011-10-09T22:01:00.001-07:00

What a disgraceful picture this is. One of the most precious animals in India, declared by the Central Government to be India's Heritage animal, can be seen very often in this most ludicrous of environments - in the middle of the heavy traffic in the mega city of Mumbai. This animal is forced to walk on concrete roads, in all kinds of weather, resulting in terrible injury to the soft foot pads, ankles and legs.

One wonders where those people are who consider the elephant so sacred? They are quite gullible in their outlook - mahouts have a field day during the festival of Ganpati, when superstitious devotees give out alms on simply spotting an elephant on the road. This magnificent animal has been reduced to an instrument of begging.

In 2007, a ban was instituted. Elephants were banned from plying the roads of Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The owners and mahouts are not concerned. The animal is too large it seems for even forest officials to handle. No plans at all have been put into place to rehabilitate any elephant that is rescued from an 'Owner" who has no papers of ownership. Some elephants did disappear from the city after the ban, but they must be in as bad a condition as the city based elephants, with not enough daily water and fodder, suitable shelter (in the city, this does not exist), or rest. They are forced to ply the roads daily begging for alms and food.

In 2007, concrete plans were made for an Elephant Rescue Centre near Kolhapur. Everything was in place, and then suddenly, the plan was put on the back burner.
IDA India intends to work to open up this project again and try to get a refuge for the captive begging elephants in Maharashtra. We are starting an online petition, details of which will be posted shortly. Do join us in making every effort to help these animals, subjected to a bleak and tortured life in the city, for no fault of their own.

Baskets, Buckets and Basins

2011-09-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

What would we do without all these handy plastic containers and carriers? In the blue basket along with a milk bottle included for good measure, you see two little pups from a litter of seven. Their mother had been run over just about 5 days ago, and these two are on their way to a new home. We wish them all the very best.
The tiny male pup in the bucket is as cute as can be. He lost the use of his little hind legs. We have been treating him with the homeopathic medicine and are happy to report that he is almost running about now. Another lovely candidate for adoption.
The last cosy group in the basin, have also lost their mum. They are fat and sweet, poor thing, she did a good job as usual feeding them and making them grow until she passed away. They are the bonny baby type and it is our job to keep them that way.
Needless to say, they find the basin very comfortable as all of them squash into it for a good snooze after their last feed.

Lost Little Lhasa

2011-09-29T02:47:00.000-07:00

She has not actually been lost. She was simply dumped. Why? She has cateract in one eye. She was brought by some concerned youngsters to our Deonar Centre at the height of the Monsoon. She was soaking wet and covered in mud. Now she loves to soak up the sun in the garden.

You couldn't ask for more pleasant -natured dog. How could anyone abandon or manage to lose her? By the way, she has all her teeth, has a nice white / grey fluffy coat and is quite frisky and good-natured. If anyone would like to take care of her, please do contact us at IDA Deonar. Until then, she is waiting for you. One of the sweetest dogs I've ever come across.

Meet the Fosters

2011-09-15T06:47:00.000-07:00

Ginger the foster pup has a companion in his foster home. This little black kitten came into the Centre lying on it's side helplessly, it's four legs making a cycling movement in the air and it's head thrown right back at an unnatural angle. Being too ill to survive the night at the Centre, it was immediately taken into foster care, the only home available at the time being Ginger's foster home.
With brisk towel rubbing, homeopathic medicine and some stretching exercise for her limbs, this little one sprang back to life and in twenty-four hours was running up the curtains! She and Ginger are great friends and can be seen sharing a place on the couch. She even shares Ginger's toys and like to cuddle up to his blue teddy bear.
Now both of them are waiting for suitable homes.

Essential Bonding

2011-09-15T06:36:00.000-07:00

The tiny animals being attended too benefit greatly by being handled gently by kind human hands. Before being taken into the garden by our volunteers, the two little ones were lying quietly in their small enclosures, probably missing their mothers terribly.
Carried into the garden, they are given a good brushing, administered a lot of TLC and also get some much needed sun and fresh air. This little outing does them a world of good. The small pup in the first picture is being vigorously dried and combed after a much-needed bath. The little one in the second picture is terribly injured and just loves being picked up for his little adventure in the garden with a loving companion. He won't last long, but while he's with us, we will take care to see that he has some fun times in his little life.
Our volunteers need some guidance, that's all. This visit and bonding with the young is extremely good for all concerned.

One Hard-Working Volunteer

2011-09-07T07:36:00.000-07:00

Payal is a busy student, interning as a Physio-therapist. She has made it a point to make time on her one holiday, Sunday, to come and help with the pups and other animals at IDA Deonar. You can see her in the small garden.
Our young paralyzed dog needs to be supported and exercised with the help of a sling. You can see Payal busy in the first two pictures. Before that, she had given the same dog a good massage with the ointment he needed. Talk about enthusiastic hard work!!
Last picture, a small pup is getting a much needed grooming, massage and as large dose of TLC.
Needless to say, it did him a world of good.
Good for you, Payal. Keep up the very good work and may your tribe increase!

A Tiny Foster Goes Home

2011-09-07T07:23:00.000-07:00

In the first picture you can see all four siblings. They came into our Deonar Centre as they had lost their mother. The little one below was lucky. She went straight into a foster home and stayed there for almost three weeks. She was a delight to watch. Very tiny but so naughty that she had to be watched constantly.
After a fun time in her foster home, she got adopted and now is with her loving new companions in her 'forever' home. She is now safe, secure and happy and the people who adopted her are very happy too.
Her siblings were at the Centre for about a week. It's really hard to find foster homes but we keep trying. Why? Because otherwise it is very difficult to keep such tiny animals alive in the middle of hundreds of other stray animals at a Shelter. They didn't make it. At least one did.
Don't forget, do an infant animal a favour and keep it in foster care at your home. Yes, you have the place, A kitten specially is no trouble at all. And when it is adopted, you will have had the wonderful satisfaction of having saved a little life.
Just try it. You will never regret it.

Yes, I Was Abandoned!

2011-08-18T22:59:00.000-07:00

Imagine anyone being careless with this lovely little dog. But somebody was. He was found wandering sadly about Powai by a kind person who sheltered him for a while. This elderly little chap was obviously used to the good life. He jumped into her car and sat on chairs wherever he could find them.

Finally we accepted him into the Deonar Centre. There's nothing much wrong with him, except that he has a damaged ear. His teeth are intact and his nature is very pleasant, however, now being in the middle of hundreds of dogs, he has developed the usual skin problem.

He loves being in the IDA garden - at least it is a small space he can explore in safely.
Loves being petted and brushed. Dogs really have very few needs. It's sad that he was kicked out of his home. We are trying our best to keep him contented and happy but it's a tough job after what he's been through.

Visit to Byculla Zoo

2011-08-18T22:58:00.000-07:00

The IDA Team visited the Zoo in July to check on Shiva the rhino and once again intercede on his behalf. We met the Zoo Director and made some more suggestions for the enrichment of Shiva's enclosure. Let's see what materialises. At least we got a patient hearing.

By the time. another IDA member was taking pictures of Shiva and his neighbours.
For once the pools are topped up with water as it is the height of the monsoon and plenty of rain has been falling. The top two pictures show Shiva. Not much of him - he was for once in a state of bliss, under water, blowing bubbles. Usually he is standing in one foot of tepid water looking just miserable.

The hippos in the third picture must have been happy too. These huge aquatic animals require deep water at all times, and for once they were enjoying themselves, submerged in their pool. They also usually have very little water to bathe in and can be seen lying on their sides, rounded sides sticking right up out of the water, getting baked in the hot sun, something that is very bad for them as they have skin that burns out of water. We were also glad to see one of the two elephants, strolling about his enclosure in the tall grass.

Going to check on Shiva this month as well. Let's see if things have improved.

Baby Crow Rescue

2011-08-18T22:56:00.000-07:00

Walking my dog at an unusual time, I noticed two small boys busy at the side of a large gutter on the opposite side of the road. They were lifting heavy stones from some construction debris, staggering to the side of the gutter and dropping them in after careful positioning. I thought they might have spotted a large frog and were trying to target and kill it. As I quickly crossed the road, they dropped their stones and ran for dear life. When I looked inside the gutter, I was aghast to see a baby crow cowering inside.

The problem was how to get it out. I rushed home and returned with a basket with a rope attached to the handle. As soon as I lowered it, the crow just jumped in and sat tight while I pulled it out of the drain.

Got him home, then wondered what to do. A basket or box is very confining for these types. The tail feathers get broken and destroyed, so I thought of the clothes stand.
It worked! He was quite happy to perch, hop about, except his food and try a little flying around the room after a few days. Fortunately, he had not suffered any damage from the "attack".

What makes children target a helpless creature like this? Wish I could have reached the boys, I would have spoken to them and tried to persuade them to help all of us help animals instead of trying to hurt and kill them. Don't blame them. They have to try and live in this cruel city themselves, poor little things. They are just lashing out at the next helpless creature and they had spotted this little crow. Just by luck, I spotted them.

The Panda Research Centre at Chengdu

2011-07-01T22:54:00.000-07:00

In the first two pictures, you can see Red Pandas (also found in India) in their forested enclosure. They are rooting for food and can wander around the large enclosure, among the trees and up and down the structures specially made for them. We spotted about five pandas and all were energetically moving about. The enclosure is full of plants, trees, bushes and grass, all left to grow without pruning or order. It is a small re-creation of the 'wild' for these animals. No cages to be seen! How great is that?!

In the pictures below, you can see the famous Giant Panda, found only in China. These are easily the most adorable animals on earth. The ones in the pictures are young adults. These fat little guys are very active early in the morning and then settle down for the main business of the day, that is, serious eating. They eat only bamboo, the leaves and stalks, almost nothing else. When it gets a bit hot, and stomachs are full, they climb up into a nearby tree and go to sleep. Every position they take, qualifies as cute! That tiny speck you can see in the tree in the first picture, has all his four legs hanging down while he takes a snooze.

This enclosure also reflects the wild but most of the trees have a bamboo surround. These animals are expert climbers and could escape after climbing high up into the trees, so most of the trees are rendered unclimbable. But here again there are plenty of wooden structures to swing on , climb up and generally fool about. Full grown adults spend the hot day sleeping in an AC room. Pandas are found in the high mountain areas where they are quite comfortable rooting about in the snow. Here they have to contend with the heat of the city. Very few of them left in the world. About as many as the precious Indian tiger. Makes one wonder, doesn't it, how the human race can allow such absolutely wonderful animals just go extinct.

The Moon Bear Rescue Centre China

2011-07-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

What you are looking at are pictures of bears, rescued from Chinese bear bile farms. This trade is easily one of the most cruel and hideous trades on earth. The founder of Animals Asia and the person who was instrumental in building this truly wonderful rescue centre, is Jill Robinson. Over a decade ago, she came across a bear on one of these farms. These animals are kept in body size cages, unable to move in any direction, or even sit or stand up. They are then'milked" through a metal tube which simply pierces their abdomen, for their bile, used in traditional Chinese medicine. Some of them have been kept like this for 30 years, without any succour or release.

Jill went into action and started rescuing these bears. She and her team have rescued hundreds, brought them to the Centre, tried their best to bring them back to some semblance of normal life. Some of the bears are too badly injured to survive, many have cancers, bad teeth and on and on and on. At the rescue Centre, all they get is love, the best treatment possible and a chance at a normal bear's simple happy and comfortable life.

The surroundings are so beautiful and every aspect is calculated to enrich the lives of these sad and broken creatures. The result is, many of them have started enjoying themselves. We watched two of them wrestling. Two plump giants having a whale of a time. Some of these bears are 7 feet tall. It takes most of the bears about one year to come out of the shock and trauma of what they have been through. Then the healing can really start.

There are 10,000 bears at present in China being milked for their bile. Jill is making continuous efforts involving Chinese Govt officials to try and stop this torture of these precious animals.
We were left in awe of all the efforts she had made and the wonderful successes she has enjoyed uptill now working tirelessly to rescue as many bears as she can from these wretched so-called farms.

The Asia For Animals Conference in China

2011-07-01T22:46:00.000-07:00

Two of us from the Managing Committee of IDA were able to attend this important Conference which was held in Chengdu, China. We went with a lot of misgivings as there is a lot of knowledge about the pathetic state of many animals in China. But actually going there and meeting some wonderful people, Chinese included, belonging to various animal welfare NGOs made it a simply great experience.
Dogs in China are many times in great danger of being culled or even eaten. Asia for Animals working in China is changing this. All the members work towards making the Chinese public perceive dogs as intelligent, highly beneficial animals. They have created the concept of "Dr.Dog". These specially trained dogs, visit hospitals and have proved to be of absolute value to most of the patients of all ages. This is in China!
We met four of them in the conference hall itself; the most beautiful, healthy happy dogs anyone could come across. They were all overjoyed to meet all of us!
Rescued dogs are used for this purpose and at present there are 250 Dr. Dogs in many cities across China. May their tribe increase!

Our Latest Addition

2011-06-01T08:46:00.001-07:00

Ginger is a marvelous little chap. He's safe in a foster home until he gets adopted and is showing every sign of his high intelligence.

His small world revolves around that milk bottle - every four hours. He drinks with the gusto of a baby buffaloe! In between he naps or plays with his make believe siblings - rolled up socks. He doesn't howl and cry at all when he is awake, but sits quietly, absolutely alert. Any small movement makes him raise his head to check out if anything interesting is happening. He is allowed out to run about and play in an open area about three times a day for about twenty minutes. This makes him nice and exhausted and then he goes into a sound sleep.

But he's good because he is kept partially confined and is fine with that. He is about one and a half months old and has a tail that is about half an inch long. He enjoys excellent health and is now in the process of getting ready to be adopted. Way to go, Ginger!

Our Pixie's Gone

2011-06-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

It happened during the hottest time in May. Our little Pixie suddenly fell ill. She was rushed into a foster home, where she could be cool, quiet and comfortable and every effort was made to help her recover. She was just too old and delicate to make that recovery and within three days she quietly passed away with her friends around her.

This little dog has always been the heart of the Centre. She was so appealing, that she was a bit spoiled by everyone in the most comfortable room in Deonar, the office. Mostly Pixie used to sit on her chair, no sleeping on the ground for her!
She had a sweet little smile which she used to good effect whenever she was greeted or spoken to.

She was adventurous too, although she didn't look it. A long time ago, Pixie escaped from the Centre. She wiggled out from under the front gate when no one was looking. Everyone was so upset. Tears were shed, prayers were said, but we didn't dare to hope. Pixie was too small and frail to survive on the mean streets.

But that is exactly what she did! Two weeks later, one of our Assistants, travelling in a rickshaw, spotted Pixie sitting on a pavement about 7 kilometres away from the Centre. Her coat had become black with dust but when she came back we found the adventure had done her good. From a little weakling with mange on her ears and a pronounced limp, Pixie had come back bright-eyed and bushy-tailed!! Her immune system must have gone into overdrive the minute she escaped!

She was special to the end. A few hours before she died, as she was greeted by a well-wisher, Pixie managed to stand up and wag her tail. After that she lay down, and a little while later, left this earth quietly and peacefully. This wonderful little dog has a special place in all our hearts and we will always remember, love and miss her.

Crisil Staff Visit on 22nd May

2011-05-24T09:06:00.000-07:00

It was a memorable Sunday, enjoyed by all of us at the Deonar Centre, animals included! The staff from Crisil Powai, had obtained a substantial grant for IDA India and had come to celebrate and work at the Centre on this day. Check out the group photo with all representatives present. All the wonderful goodies on the table, the plants seen in the foreground, the basins, the planters, were all purchased and generously donated for the good of all the animals at Deonar. Our pups got plenty of lovely toys as well.

Lots of hard work was done in the garden which is fast becoming a pleasant retreat for volunteers and dogs alike. Tiles were laid out to make a pretty path and you can see the youngest visitor trying one out. She is only two years old but enjoyed herself thoroughly. Her wonderful parents have seen to it that she loves animals already!
On the bench, three young volunteers are holding a group of lovely pups that had been dumped on the road in a cardboard box. One of them is on the ground, checking out the planting.

It was a really satisfying and happy day for all those present. Thanks to the care and generosity of these young people, who took time to visit and put in some hard labour as well, our animals will enjoy the benefits of this for quite some time to come.
Spending a good five hours at our Centre, these youngsters realised that strays and abandoned animals are innocent creatures who appreciate a safe and happy life and deserve our care and protection always.

IDA Centre Opens in Turbhe

2011-05-24T09:05:00.000-07:00

It was towards to the end of the monsoon last year, that the IDA Vashi Centre was forced to close down. The building had developed cracks in walls and roof and was in danger of coming down. For nine long months, there has been very little activity re ABC operations and so on as no other Centre was available for use. 15th of May was a happy day for IDA as a temporary new Centre was made available for operations.

The inauguration took place on that day and operations started in right earnest on the 18th of May, you can see the very first operation taking place, in the picture above. Lots of catching up to do as until that day, the only IDA work that could be carried out was by means of its mobile van, plying around Navi Mumbai and attending to cases in different localities. The location of the Centre leaves much to be desired as it is in a highly polluted area, over an existing dump, and great care has to be taken to sanitize conditions for the animals to be treated. Anyway, it is a welcome re-start to all the hard work that went on for years at our small Vashi Centre.

One Tiny Heart Throb

2011-05-16T00:48:00.000-07:00

She looked like a tiny bear cub when she was brought to Deonar Centre. This little pup had suffered a terrible forehead wound from ear to ear and just over both eyes. We quickly used a homeopathic mother tincture right across the wonded area. This has proved to be very effective for large wounds. In a matter of days, the wound had closed and slowly the tear began to shrink and become smaller and smaller.

From the third day, this little miss started running about the puppy pen and wagging her tail at chow time, running fast to get to her bowl. She had healed really well and then unfortunately, she developed kennel cough. She was only one month old so even though we placed her in foster care, she succumbed to this within a week.

Thought I'd share the pictures of this beautiful little creature with all of you. She was with us for a little under a month but she was handled with care and love, fed well and kept warm and comfortable. We lost her but can be consoled by the fact that she didn't die a miserable, lingering death on the road. She was with us till the end of her too short life.

In The Blind Dog Enclosure

2011-05-16T00:47:00.000-07:00

This is a particularly heart-warming group of animals. Most of them are blind or otherwise badly handicapped or very old. They just can't exist by themselves on the road. You might wonder what they get out of being kept in an enclosure like this, not being able to see or run about swiftly like other dogs. At IDA we do our best to see that they feel safe and comfortable. They can't see, but their other senses work very well. They get the scent of visiting friends and are truly happy. They can "hear" all the action going on in the Centre and the sense that works best is the one of taste!
They really appreciate their meals and at the Centre, they don't have to worry where the next meal is coming from. We see that they are well fed. The enclosure is open and breezy and the overhead fans keep them cool. As you can see, the benches are nice to sit on also and each has their favourite place.

The brown fluffy dog is visiting for some treatment. She is very old but is quite agile and healthy and she has one blind eye. She's okay with one working eye and she has a loving family in a Society who sees to all her needs. After some treatment, she will go back as she can see and is also quite mobile. Enjoying her stay at Deonar by the time!

Good-looking IDA Pups

2011-04-18T01:40:00.001-07:00

The two smooth coated pups are at our Centre with their Mom. There are five siblings in all and all were brought in looking very shaky and sick. Our efforts are paying off. Pups and kittens at any shelter have a tough time staying healthy, there are so many other animals around, and these little ones had to be brought back to good health. In fact two of the little ones were showing signs of distemper when they were brought in and sadly, they didn't make it. The rest of the family however, are fine. We do try our best to figure out how to keep all our little ones alive and well and in good health.

The large pup has been with us for some time now. He was brought in with mange and a swollen throat. Our care and treatment worked and now he is one of the most handsome pups in the puppy pen. He also has a lovely nature and is a smiley type.

If you are lonely and looking for a wonderful companion, look no further. Any one of these pups is ready and willing to love you for life. Also your health will benefit greatly. You can walk with your friend, talk to your friend and have a whale of a time in general as pups (and dogs) are very playful and happy creatures when they are loved enough.

Another Miracle Happening

2011-04-18T01:38:00.000-07:00

Here he is in his favourite place of all - in the garden on the patch of grass, playing with a fallen leaf. He's our handsme black male pup, if you didn't recognise him straight away. He was the only pup not responding to the special medication for paralysis cases. Today, however, was different. It was a heart-stopping moment. Suddenly he raised his hind quarters and came racing across the puppy enclosure to play with a group that was across the room! He has started wagging his tail! His movements are still awkward but there's life in those hind legs.

We had decided to give him a stronger dose of what the other paralysed pups have been taking and it seems to be working. The most beautiful sight today, was this little chap raising his butt four inches above the ground as he relieved himself. Let's all send out collective good vibes for him to make it back to normal. He's one of the most high spirited pups in the pen.

Pups in the Pen

2011-04-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

Like any other jailbird, our pups at Deonar just love to 'escape' their small enclosures and enjoy the freedom of the wide open space in the centre of the large room. The modus operandi is - howl your head off until someone takes you out of the small 'pen'. It works! But as soon as they are taken out, most of them flop down and have a snooze - all that howling is very tiring. The charming black pup likes to be alone and has chosen the perfect spot. But then, it's nice to play also, after all they are puppies. So it's a good rough wrestling match for the other two until they are tired enough for another welcome nap.

Tiny Tim in the Garden

2011-04-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

This little chap is only a little bigger than the crow he's looking at! He's about one and a half years old and was found in a most bedraggled condition on the street. He was rescued and brought to the Deonar Centre. It took very long to clean him up but as you can see, the efforts were successful.

He's really small and has the sweetest nature, not at all usual for a dog of this type. Upto now he's been very quiet and very very good. Likes to potter around the garden after he's combed and brushed. He's on the adoption site so do check him out and see his cheeky little face! Do help us to get him into a really loving home. Can't bear the thought of this little angel being treated roughly or discarded again.

Kitten News

2011-04-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

Check out what the kitten on the garden bench is doing - exactly what kittens and cats love to do, relax in the sun on a nice warm bench. In this case it was more than welcome, this little one has paralysed back legs. After a good sponge and cleanup, a session with the hair dryer to make him nice and dry and warm him up, he is given a gentle massage of the back legs and helped to stretch and move them. The biggest danger in such cases is the slow atrophy of the limb in question. Stretching and bending helps to keep the limb supple. Anyway, he has a nice time sitting on the bench, watching the world go by. He even attempts to wash himself clean.

The other two little spots you can see in the blue basket, are two tiny day old kittens in foster care. They have to always be kept warm and cosy and they make sure that they are in as comfortable a sleeping position as possible. The escape artist you can see is really hungry and making sure everyone knows it! Only three days old and he climbed that height in two seconds flat!!

Working With Pups in the Garden

2011-03-21T02:27:00.000-07:00

The garden is turning out to be a refuge from any type of interference when one is hard at work, giving a pup a nice combing or applying ointment via deep massage on another pup for a skin ailment. Try to do this anywhere else, and the whole gang will come pounding up to inspect what's going on.
Our young volunteers can work uninterrupted and complete whatever work they are doing to their satisfaction. Of course, the 'garden' hardly looks like an actual one. But it's early days yet. We put one dog at a time into this small space, just to rest or explore and they enjoy themselves pottering around checking our the plants, the grass, that's still looking sorry for itself, and the nice warm benches which are nice to sit on.

Our Pups are Works of Art!

2011-03-18T11:02:00.000-07:00

This truly spectacular pup had us all very worried. she came in with a huge hernia on her tum. She was two months old, had the most beautiful coat and eyes and this horrible protubance. There's nothing much one can do about a hernia, except pray, and we did a bit of that as otherwise, she was blessed with the best of health and good-looks. Guess what? The hernia slowly disappeared until there was no trace left. She has since been scooped up by a loving family who are simply thrilled to have her. She's one of those boisterous, big, happy pups, who simply love life, hernia or no hernia.
The next little fellow has good reason to feel sorry for himself. He had a huge, horrible bite on one of his sides which had slowly become a maggot wound. He's perked up since he was rescued and brought into the Centre. This type of wound takes long to heal and is dangerous for a pup as it covers a major part of the small body.

Meet Our Sweet Little Paralysed Pups

2011-03-18T11:00:00.000-07:00

Too many little ones come into the Centre with both back legs paralysed. This happens because of a dangerous habit they have of sleeping under parked rickshaws (or cars). The driver has a worse habit, that of never checking to see if any animal has taken shelter under the vehicle, looking for shade. The result is this. These are two of the most goodlooking pups in the pen and they were dragging their hind legs behind them when they came in.

But look what happens at IDA. The little white one (check out the picture below), has started using her hind legs again. Sometimes she even runs! This is the third successful case of curing our paralysed pups. Two others are running about outside the puppy pen now. We have started using homeopathic medicine for these cases, and it works very well. Here's hoping our handsome black pup (they don't come any handsomer!) will also regain the use of his back legs soon. In the last picture, you can see the fluffy white pup using her previously helpless back legs to stand up.

The Puppy Pen is Cool!

2011-03-18T10:59:00.000-07:00

The heat is so fierce this month, that the coolest place in the Puppy Pen is the exact centre of the enclosure. It's the centre point between four fans and the stone flooring is smooth and comfy, not to mention cool. A little mandatory playing and then it is flop onto the floor and have a nap. If there's a full water bowl around, have one sip and then splash all the water on the floor. Next step: all fall down and go to sleep, that is until the next meal comes around or something really interesting happens.

Pups Need Protection

2011-03-13T00:29:00.000-08:00

These pictures show exactly why we have to be so careful of our precious little wards. The first shows a large pup with severe gastro, sleeping soundly and peacefully in his small enclosure. He's very comfortable and is receiving regular medication and he likes it that way! In the second picture, you can see a very tiny pup who has dislocated back legs. This poor little mite must have been hit by the wheel of some vehicle. When he arrived he was covered in black mud and had to be carefully bathed. As soon as he was nice and clean, the tiny tail started wagging. No crying in pain for this little guy! He is being given extra special TLC, medication and enjoys his food - Royal Canine for tinies. He's out of his small enclosure to get some exercise, even though he can only wiggle along on his tum. Probably he won't make it, but as long as he is in our care, he gets the best treatment possible.
The five infants have been put in a box for a photo op. They had come in with their mother - she had been biting anyone going near them. She had a very badly damaged ear. Perhaps someone had whacked her. She died after some days, poor thing. Why can't the public learn to just leave a mother and her pups alone? All she wants to do (and she does it very efficiently), is to see that her little ones are safe and protected by her. Now the five have to be hand-fed but they are doing quite well. It's very difficult to keep such small pups alive, but we do our best.
The signs you can see in the last picture are specifically prepared to try and keep the puppy pen as sanitized and free from germs as possible. These little ones are housed in the middle of hundreds of other dogs (and cats) and every little effort helps.
We try to limit the number of people entering the puppy pen also to keep dust and other contaminants out of the enclosure. It's working. Most of them are thriving and enjoying their stay, no matter what condition they are in.

Coping With the Heat at Deonar

2011-03-13T00:28:00.000-08:00

Got some pics of big boy Bruno, Keano and our sweet little Pommy relaxing on a very hot day at IDA Deonar. Bruno and Keano are making good use of the laadi benches, donated to us by one of our kind supporters. These benches are placed along a verandah which runs along the front of five holding rooms for dogs who are brought in for the ABC operation.

Our resident Sponsor dogs, however, get to take it easy and lounge about outside, and this is the location they love. There are fans fixed along the verandah, also they have a good vantage point for watching the world go by and relaxing until it's the next mealtime.

But take a look at Pommy. She loves nothing better than to roll and stretch out in the dust! This, in spite of the fact that she is a very fluffy dog. Doesn't she look comfortable? With her huge shining brown eyes, soft coat and sweet smiling face, Pom is one of our most popular Sponsor dogs. She puts that smile to good use when her Sponsors come to visit her.

One Handsome Patient

2011-03-13T00:27:00.000-08:00

This good looking pup came in with a severe case of Gastro. He was found on a railway station. Who knows what he had to eat or if he had any source of water. Plus being handsome as ever, he has a shape like a dachshund! Very sweet natured too. He responded very well to treatment and was soon put on a normal healthy diet and started wagging his tail to show his appreciation!
He has another small problem. Due to calcium deficiency, his front paws are extremely weak at the ankles. Hope we can help. He's a real charmer.

Maggie T-Pup Finds a Home

2011-03-13T00:13:00.000-08:00

She was one of the naughtiest pups we ever fostered but also one of the most charming. Don't be misled by the innocent face. Maggi T Pup is a little devil! Now where could such a pup be placed?
She's got the perfect home. Maggi's at a church. You can see her in the pictures with her new adoptive parent - Father is the Parish Priest of this church and asked for a puppy. Mag has a lovely companion - a mature male mongrel who instantly started running about and playing with her as soon as she arrived at the Church.

They have a safe, secure playground and plenty of greenery around. Father is very knowledgable about dogs and took an instant liking to Maggi. He is also caring for an abandoned Rottweiller!! No problem. Maggi made friends with him too!

Newcomers to the Deonar Centre

2011-02-28T09:18:00.000-08:00

In the first picture you can see a very healthy but very shy female pup. She literally bounces about when she is up to mischief. We are only happy that she is healthy - to keep them in such a condition at any Shelter that is chockful of animals, is a feat in itself.
In the second pic you can see an adorable little special needs female. She's very furry and really gorgeous. All that's wrong is that she has a hernia on the tum,which is now shrinking a bit. This bundle of fur is ready to go!
The third little black pup is pure cuteness and fortunately has been taken out into foster care, so let's hope she is home free! She will be adopted in two weeks time if all goes well. All this little one needs are your best wishes for a lovely, safe, happy future.
The pups in the last two pics are sisters. They are in Deonar with their mum, who as all canine mothers has kept them in tip top shape. They are as lovely, playful and adorable as they look. Can dogs be more good-looking than this?

Volunteer from USA

2011-02-28T09:14:00.000-08:00

This young woman came all the way to India for about 10 days to work as a volunteer for IDA at the Deonar Centre.
What she accomplished in those few days was amazing. Drawing on her experience of working at an Animal Shelter in NY, she suggested many ideas that are proving to be of great help to our animals.
For instance, we have started a 10 day course of medication to prevent kennel cough in our infant pups. This seems to be quite helpful in preventing and curing the start of kennel cough. She also demonstrated really great methods of cleaning the enclosures and told us a number of ways to keep the cleaned rooms as sanitized as possible throughout the day.
Watching her work was an education in itself and there was definately an upsurge of good health within the most vulnerable place at IDA, the sick puppy pen.
Zephreny even went out a number of times on our mobile medical van and assisted the doctor with his patients all over the city. Now that's a volunteer! Hope she will be an inspiration to many others wanting to help in animal welfare.

Visitors from Australia

2011-02-28T09:13:00.000-08:00

It was a big day for four of our Sponsor dogs last week. Their loving Sponsor came all the way from Australia to visit them. All four were located and brought into the office to formally meet their Sponsor. After that the photo session started and you can see the charming results!
Pommy being held close and loving it. She's a sweet old dog and very, very shy, but she came out of her shell to greet the visitors and days later, she is still 'smiling'.

In the second picture you can see Lalu and another of our very affectionate dogs bonding with one of the other Australian visitors. Needless to say, they were totally charmed by all the ultra-friendly animals at Deonar.

Sunning in the Garden

2011-02-28T09:12:00.000-08:00

These two little tykes are both unable to walk. Their legs hurt - the orange pup in front has a deformity of the front legs and the one sitting upright has paralysed back legs. How they love the garden and the nice warm benches. Pups like this experience pain because the affected limbs are so rigid. The warmth of the stone bench provides instant relief. Besides it's nice to take the air in the garden and be out of that little puppy pen of theirs.
The fluffy black dog sniffing around is our blind Raja. He has to be carried to the garden from the blind pen as the way is full of obstacles - like about ten other sighted dogs! Once there, without any hesitation, he starts exploring and even though he bumps into things, he really enjoys himself. After a good brushing and combing for his long fur, he goes reluctantly back into the blind pen. He's learning to 'walk' alongside people in the heel position and his nose works very well! Slowly, we will try to bring our other blind dogs for an "outing" into the garden. I'm sure they will enjoy it as much as Raja does.

Aren't We Adorable?

2011-02-17T07:10:00.000-08:00

These fabulous pups are all one litter except for the good-looking girl in the third picture.
These were sent together with their inoffensive very young mother to the Centre.
This is the last thing that should happen. Street dogs are very efficient at looking after their young when left to their own resources on the street. They stay alert and healthy, guarding their infants and searching for food. This lot has been brought in to Deonar. Next step, they are open to all the ailments you can think of.

If you ever come across a mother and her pups, see that you don't head for the nearest shelter to find them 'protection'. Usually they don't need it and you will be doing the mother and her babies a great disfavour by putting them into an enviroment totally unsuitable for the very young. Once in the shelter, if they are not adopted or fostered almost at once, you can say your good-byes to the entire family. The best thing we can all do is see that the family stays in comparative safety on the street. This can be done simply by keeping an eye on them, not catering to their every need. They really do not need us humans much. Mother dogs have been doing an efficient job for centuries. Leave them be. In the natural order of things, a few pups from the litter will survive. Then get the mother neutered as soon as they are two months old.
This is the stage that we humans should interfere, so that no more pups will be born to be exposed to the dangers of this mega city.

At Last! A Grassy Patch!!

2011-02-17T06:32:00.000-08:00

Managed to get some tiny plants of 'starter' grass. Check out the patch - at least the puppies like exploring it! Waiting for the grass to 'take' and it's not doing too badly.
The pups love exploring this space, they are small enough to have plenty to explore.
The white pup in the lead has a bad front foot which is very lame. This did not stop her from running around in the lead with her small companion following behind.

You can see her on the bench with Assistant Aparna. Puppies love the stone benches as well. They get nice and warm in the sun so are great to sit on.

Winter is Pup Season!

2011-01-26T06:40:00.000-08:00

IDA Deonar is awash with puppies and kittens. Still waiting for all those foster parents to contact us and let us know which pup or kitten they would like to take care of. Trust me, it's more fun than trouble and you will be doing some little soul a world of good. This is the only way an infant animal can get used to living in somebody's home. Otherwise, he or she is milling around with a whole bunch of other orphans at our Centre, fooling about, waiting for lunch time or taking a nap because there is no where to go. Most importantly, fostering gives them a fighting chance at staying alive.

Have a look at Whisky in the previous post. He was such a great looking pup. On his first day at the Centre, he was as frisky as a new born lamb. After two weeks, he had begun to droop. It's been a month since he came. Yes, he got sick and now we've lost him. I still can't believe that such a beautful animal is lost to us. If somebody had fostered him, he might have had a chance. He's gone and it's our loss.

The lovely little pup in the picture below was subjected to the most horrible cruelty by an unknown sadist. Her brother also was subjected to the same cruel treatment. He responded to treatment and fortunately was soon adopted and is doing well. This little girl was too sad and sick to survive even though all of us at the Centre did our best. One good thing is that we have many volunteers coming to the Centre to help us in whatever way they can and the pups benefit a great deal from the attention they get. So if you can't foster, come help with the feeding of the little ones, or pick up one or two and sit in the garden in the sun- good for them and for you! Help to give them their medication or just wrap up some of the tiniest in a cloth and hold them close until they get warmed up, They have been deprived of their chief and expert care giver, their mom, and they need all the help they can get.

Tiny Tots and Their Toy Elephant

2011-01-26T06:39:00.002-08:00

All our little ones love toys, especially the soft type. Here is Whiskey and his companion in the puppy room with their stuffed elephant. As soon as any such toy is available, they go into attack mode. The el in the picture has already been 'attacked' and thrown and carried about. At least this way these youngsters get some much needed exercise and also use their teeth on an inanimate object instead of each other!!

If you have any old stuffed toys available, don't forget to send them our way. Our kittens need such toys too. At the end of the day, they make great pillows and mattresses to rest on, especially if one's mom is missing. Most of these little guys are orphans and they really like to play.

Little Girl Lost

2011-01-26T06:39:00.001-08:00

She was one of the best looking pups in the puppy pen.
A very large pup, she had a magnificent black coat with lovely colouring around the head, ears and her legs. Her eyes were a beautiful tiger yellow. I'm speaking of her in the past tense because we've lost her. This great little pup was paralysed. Her back legs had stopped working altogether. She was probably lying under a vehicle on some road when it started and ran over her, injuring her spine and back.

This handicap did not stop her enthusiastic approach to life. Every time there was "company" in the puppy pen, she would come racing, dragging her helpless hind legs behind her. Every time food showed up, she would show the same enthusiasm. She loved to be cuddled and we were quite willing to oblige, she was such a bundle.
But now she is gone and this small piece is just a way of remembering this dear little soul who loved life and humans. It was a pleasure knowing her and taking care of her for the short time she was with us.

Just a foot note in memory of her: If you ever consider fostering a handicapped animal, just go for it. They are as joyous, happy and loving as any other animal that may come into one's life.

In the IDA Garden

2011-01-26T06:37:00.000-08:00

This is exactly what this little space was made for. Don't miss our young volunteers pampering the young and the old comfortably on one of the benches. We also bring the pups from the nearby puppy pen into the open to enjoy the sun. In the last picture you can see one of our oldies getting his dose of Vit D and enjoying the warmth.

Of course our garden doesn't look much like a garden at all yet but we are very optimistic. We hope it can only get better and slowly become a green refuge in the not too distant future. Wish us luck and watch this (garden) space!

Our Puppies Wear Tees Too !

2011-01-18T10:32:00.001-08:00

The weather has been so cold since mid-December, we have been very worried about how to keep all our delicate little charges as warm as possible. Many types of cloth and designs were tried, but all proved to be difficult to get on, difficult to do up or difficult to keep on! Then one day, looking at Maggi T Pup, a thought struck me. Why not try a part of an actual T shirt which would need no sewing. The T shirt sleeve seemed to be the most logical part of the T to use.

The first picture shows Maggi modeling the first doggie T shirt. The pretty collar is the opening of the sleeve and little Maggi was quite comfortable walking around in her T. The preparation was simple. Cut the sleeve out of the old T shirt. Cut out two small holes at the sides for the front legs to come through. Back at the Centre it took very little time to get some more Ts ready.

Of course the garments are not very fashionable, but they served the purpose. The pups were as warm and comfortable as we could make them and that's all that matters.

Two Tiny Kittens Waiting for a Home

2011-01-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

Aren't they just beautiful? They are just two of a large number of lost little kitties who find their way to our Centre. They are deprived of their mother's specialized care and have no access to her precious milk. As soon as these infants are on their own, they are in deadly danger. Not just from other animals, heavy traffic or cruel humans, they are highly susceptible to disease. They are sad and frightened and their immune systems do not work well at all. It's an extremely difficult job to keep them alive and well at the Centre in the middle of hundreds of other animals, and the IDA staff do the best they can. But we need a little help from our friends.

If you really love animals, make a small space in your life for one of them. It is worth the trouble and the benefits are immense. If you can't possibly adopt one of them, help us search for people who would really like to do so. And do remember, fostering is fun and it is not a long term commitment. It also helps you to find out how to get on with an animal companion and if you would be actually willing to keep one long term.

Inaugurating the New Garden at IDA Deonar

2011-01-18T10:27:00.000-08:00

Got the garden area ready at last! It being Christmas time, we installed a small Christmas Tree right in the centre and always eager to make our great animals known to the public, we decorated the tree with small cards containing photos of our cats, pups, dogs and so on. These consisted of animals who have not yet been included in our Sponsor and Guardian Angel programmes. We made a special Christmas offer and I am happy to say that 11 of them got sponsored straight off the tree!
As the garden was ready, we decided to have a regular inauguration. Our Chief Guest was Ms Doreen Aranha from Igatpuri. She is quite isolated there working really hard for all the stray dogs that are in dire need of all kinds of help. She manages a lot of work even though the going is very tough. No NGOs around to help, so one can imagine the difficulties she faces.
For her unstinting efforts, IDA India awarded a Champion for Animals certificate to Doreen on the inauguration day. You can see her cutting the ribbon placed across the small garden gate. All those who attended had quite a nice time. Now we are waiting anxiously for the small plants to grow. In the meantime, there are a lot of wonderful animal related activities that can be carried out in this truly precious space.

New Enclosure for Mothers and Pups

2011-01-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

We are always on the lookout for whatever space is available to keep our animals safe and comfortable. We have managed to construct a small enclosure especially for moms and pups. Of course we can only keep one or two mothers with their young ones in there at a time. But it has proved to be quite helpful as they need privacy and some extra space.
In the second pic you can see Selvi with the first mother to use the enclosure. Building this enclosure was possible as we also were considered during Give India Week. Our generous donors remembered that IDA needs continuous support and encouragement. You can see the result!

Meet Maggi T-Pup

2011-01-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

This sweet little girl is in foster care. She's got a double barrel name for a reason. Maggi is as fierce as a T Rex when it comes to chasing a passing pair of pyjamas or jeans! Hangs on with her little teeth (playfully). She also loves tea. Everytime tea is served, she comes running and reminds you that she would like some too.
She has a special small cup which contains 4 teaspoons of the beverage and she loves to lap it up after it has been cooled a bit.

Maggi is a very courageous and smart little pup. She doesn't cringe or cry when the older dogs in the house "shout" at her. She was found on a road in
Dharavi by a kind young lady who rescued her. She had to be rescued. A man was beating this little thing with a stick for some unknown reason! She's safe and sound now and waiting to be adopted by anyone who would like the privilege of having her as a companion at home.

The All Important "Walk"

2010-12-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

A recent activity we've started at Deonar is walking individual dogs. This serves a number of purposes. The ones confined in an enclosure for a prolonged length of time, seriously need some exercise. It is a good bonding activity and allows one to check how obedient any one of the dogs can be. We've started this with our abandoned lot and it is a training aid for their future in somebody's home. The dogs just love to be let out, even if it is on the end of a leash and the walker can make sure that this turns into an exercise period which includes some fun time, namely mingling with the resident dogs at the Centre and making more friends. Also it is one of our favourite volunteer activities. We have many volunteers and lots and lots of dogs to walk!! The very good-looking pom in the picture walks like a dream after only two or three practice sessions.

Introducing Buster

2010-12-01T09:22:00.000-08:00

He's just one and a half months old and already a tough guy. He bullies any pup who is a little smaller than him, but takes care to run away and hide a bit when faced with another bully, bigger than him!
He came in with four siblings and his mum when she met with an accident and lost one of her eyes. His brother got adopted a few days ago and is now called Bang Bang. His two sisters became sick and didn't make it. They were just as good-looking as their bro. Buster is probably the strongest of the litter as these are the ones that usually survive.
His mother is doing well and is a real darling with a lovely nature. Hope Buster does well too and gets adopted as soon as possible. He's a great little pup.

Foster Kitties /Pups for Adoption

2010-12-01T09:11:00.000-08:00

Looking at these beautiful kittens, all in wonderful health, one can understand why foster care is so important. Some kind people have taken it upon themselves to keep these young ones in their homes until someone else decides to adopt them. Any infant usually thrives under these conditions. Personal care, a roof over their heads and plenty of love and good food - this is what is provided by a foster parent.
What does this type of compassionate person get in return? Plenty. There's a wonderful feeling of accomplishment when a little one grows into an energetic youngster full of beans! Looking after a kitten is fun, full stop. Looking after two together is hilarious as they play, collapse for their instant naps and eat in complete unison. The best moment comes when the little one actually gets a home with a loving family.
The little fatties in the pictures following were not so lucky. They are both at our Deonar Centre with their injured moms. That's not a bad thing as they can still enjoy their mother's milk which helps to build up their immune system. But they are in real danger of becoming sick, just due to the presence of hundreds of other dogs who come in for the ABC operation. It's pups like these who are in need of foster care to give them a good chance at staying alive and well and getting a good home as soon as possible. So if you have the time, some patience and the inclination, go ahead and become a foster parent. It's for a short while and it's extremely important, rewarding work.

Cured of Paralysis at Deonar

2010-12-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

This sweet little girl arrived at the Deonar Centre as a paralysis case. She used to drag her hind legs behind her with some difficulty. We've recently started treating our resident animals with homeopathic medicine, administering it to whoever is in need. It's proved to be very effective in a number of cases, one being this little pup. She's using both her hind legs in a normal fashion now. In fact, she plays boisterously, running up and down the puppy pen with the other active pups.
The other picture just shows her in another mood. Playing with her toy tiger inside her small cage. Only hope someone has the good sense to adopt her. She's a very friendly pup and her paralysis has been cured!

Baby Sitting is Fun At IDA Deonar

2010-12-01T09:06:00.000-08:00

This has to be one of the most pleasurable activities or 'tasks' at IDA Deonar.
Bonding with one or two of these little ones is pure bliss. Do hope the little ones enjoy it as much as the baby-sitters seem to! But actually this is a really important
part of preparing each infant to trust and be happy in the company of humans. The more the merrier! Most of the babies in the pics have been adopted by now, but there is always a steady supply of pups and kittens you can help us with. Firstly by fostering one or two of them so that they are safe and sound in a real house, or if that is not possible, come and hold them a bit. Take them into the garden and let them play in the sun under your watchful eye. You can even help to bathe and feed them.
Lots and lots of enjoyable work available for which we need lots of help. Best thing is, it's fun!

Spectacular Kittens at Deonar

2010-11-10T10:37:00.000-08:00

Couldn't access the blog for some time, so these little ones had to wait to be introduced to the admiring public. You can't see them very well, but each kitten is a work of art. The little white in the first picture has beautiful blue eyes and is very energetic. The grey also has very unusual eyes and a matching coat - black and dark grey stripes. The tiny black has light grey eyes and a jet black coat. In fact, they are so irresistable that the white and black have already been adopted. The grey is in foster care.

By the way, our mature cats just waiting for you at the Centre, are even more spectacular and waiting to be adopted. They are fat and healthy and extremely affectionate as they socialize so much with all of us. So if you are considering whether your animal companion should be a cat, look no further - we have some seriously good-looking felines in need of a comfortable home.

New IDA pup Mishti

2010-10-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

This beautiful little girl is Mishti, our new addition to the puppy pen. Doesn't she look the picture of innocence? She's actually very energetic and naughty. Mishti's has a special skill. She can leap straight up like a lamb in Springtime! When we sit down in the puppy pen to play with all the youngsters, this is exactly what she does. Leaps straight up and into your lap! She's almost two months old and in perfect health that matches her lovely nature. Check her out on the IDA Adoption site. This one's a gem!

3rd October, Celebrations Continue

2010-10-04T07:49:00.000-07:00

This was the afternoon session, which was literally all fun and games! Dumb Charades was hilarious and the Quiz made everyone think a bit. After a good lunch, we conducted a Foster Care Workshop and the participants were provided with some good material to help them through foster care problems. In the last picture, you can see Lulu and Daisy, both part of the demo on foster care and then so tired, that they collapsed among their toys! They are really laid back and sweet and had no problem relaxing in the middle of all of us.

The workshop was a success and one young lady immediately opted to foster a sickly little pup from the Centre and subsequently took good care of it for ten days. Just what that baby needed.

International Day of Prayer for Animals, 3rd October

2010-10-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

This was a really special day for all of us at IDA Deonar. The world celebrates the feast of St. Francis of Assissi, a wonderful person who regarded all creatures as his brothers and sisters. On this day, we thought it most fitting for all our charges to be formally blessed. We prevailed upon Fr. Joe D'Souza to come and bless the Centre, all the IDA workers and supporters and last but not least, all of our dear animal friends. Father obliged, and came all the way from Jacob's Circle Parish to extend the blessing. After the general blessing, he went around blessing all our animals in the different enclosures and can be seen in front of one of the maggot wound dog enclosures, doing the needful.

We were also fortunate to have among us, two Homeopathic practitioners. One was Dr. Prakash Lulla from Chembur. A well-known doctor for humans who extends his skill to treating animals as well. Ms Suneeta Tol is another person who has treated stray animals with homeopathic medicine for almost a decade. She has had great success in the treatment of a number of ailments, being especially successful treating skin diseases. She demonstrated just how easy it is to administer this medicine by putting a few drops of liquid onto a biscuit, instantly consumed by an obliging "patient", Pinky, standing nearby.

IDA Celebrates World Wildlife Week

2010-10-04T07:32:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, 2nd October, IDA organised an activity packed function for all our supporters who attended.

We started by showing a great wildlife movie called "Two Brothers", followed by a veggy lunch and a demo of vegan cooking by an expert we invited.

Ater this, we all pushed off to the Zoo. At the entrance we joined Zoo Education Officer Mr. Panranjpe in taking the pledge to see to the welfare of all biodiversity, witnessed a skit by a group of enthusiastic young men on how to treat confined zoo animals with respect and finally went to the Snake House.

This was our main destination as we are looking at ways to enrich the lives of the captive animals at Byculla Zoo and make their living conditions more bearable. They are after all simply prisoners, behind bars for the entertainment of the human public.

We had prepared an info sheet about Indian snakes and also taken along a young expert on snakes to give a small talk at this venue. In addition, we had prepared suggestions for enrichment of the snake enclosures. We handed this over to Mr. Paranjpe and Mr.Anjankar, Zoo Director. Some time ago, we had done the same thing for Shiva the lone rhino. We'll keep on visiting as this type of inspection might bring about some much-needed improvement in the way all the animals are housed and cared for.

Just one more wonderful footnote: As we all trooped over to say hello to Shiva, we noticed a crow frantically trying to stay afloat in his water pool. Of course, we all called for help, as even IDA members can't enter the rhino's enclosure - he is too dangerous and fast moving, even in his old age. Anyway, we all persisted in our efforts to get the crow rescued. First Shiva had to be lured out of his pool, poor chap! This was done by a helper, hiding inside his "room" and ringing the dinner bell. This was enough for Shiva to lumber out as he knew a treat or his meal awaited. Not until he was safely in his room with the door shut, could the rescuer go into the enclosure and see to the crow. He was scooped up soaking wet and safely deposited in the middle of some foliage to dry off. I'm pleased to say, that this helpless bird's life was saved because IDA was at the Zoo that day.

IDA Pups Sharmili and Masti

2010-10-04T07:31:00.000-07:00

Brown and white Sharmili has the sweetest nature. Every time a smaller pup is brought into the puppy enclosure, she rushes to check it out, then gives it a good wash, gently licking the little face with her tongue. She has lovely velvet black eyes and a smiling face.
Masti lives up to his name! He's a devil in disguise and is up to mischief all the time. He was rescued at the height of the monsoon as a tiny pup. He had a maggot wound because he had been living in the open along with his mother and brother and getting wet all the time. He was fostered and bounced back to his present good health. That's all it took. A little love and care and plenty to eat! And now for the best news. Masti has just been adopted! That's all that we are waiting for - a good home for each of the wonderful animals that are presently in our care.

Foster Pups Lulu and Daisy

2010-10-04T07:29:00.000-07:00

Hi! I'm Lulu, the one with the lovely black eyes and this is my sister Daisy. As you can see, we have both learned to 'Sit'. Don't we do it nicely? Our foster mom taught us this trick quite quickly because she uses small tasty biscuits as a reward which we like very much!
Daisy, my sister, is a little noisy when she's playing with me. I'm quite quiet even when I'm playing. We have real fun with all our toys but we like our old sock best! We really like to play and run around; it's fun, but after about ten minutes, we get very tired. Then we both decide to have a nap. We share a mattress which is very comfortable and sleep for a couple of hours. When we get up, we know it's time to eat again. We are always hungry! But as you can see, we have learnt to be "calm / submissive" before our meals as well. We are really good girls, even if I say so myself!!

Yes, We are all up for Adoption

2010-09-18T03:28:00.000-07:00

In the first picture, you can see a lovely little female with a pleasant nature. She has a pretty coloured coat as well and is just the correct age to go to a new home.

All the other pups are three brothers and their little sister. She's really little! They are in such great shape because they came along with their mum to the Deonar Centre. They were about two weeks old when they came in and now they are about one and a half months old. Their mum has done a wonderful job and they are just bursting with health and energy. One has already been adopted. He's the little guy sitting higher up in the last picture. He has one large black spot on his back.

The alpha pup can be seen with his little sister and alone in another picture. He already reminds one of an old soul: looks so wise and centred. He will be a really wonderful companion for anyone lucky enough to choose him.

They are still in the care of their wonderful mother who has really done a great job taking care of them all on her own. We didn't interfere at all except to feed her well, and it worked.

She has brought up a set of very healthy and appealing pups.

We Got Adopted!!

2010-09-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

Great news! The handsome little fellow in the first picture has gone to his new home. He was only with us for about five days. Thankfully news of his good looks and absolute appeal spread outside Deonar and he was much in demand. He has gone now to his new home and all of us at IDA and all our friends and supporters wish him well. He has such beautiful markings that we can't wait to see what he will look like as he grows into a big strong dog. The person who adopted him was very impressed too with his looks and personality.
The two kitties in the second picture are siblings, two months old and resemble miniature big cats with their spectacular colouring. They were taken into foster care on Saturday, but the foster family could ony enjoy their company for a few days. Both got adopted today! All of us at IDA couldn't be happier. One of our main goals is to get the general public to appreciate all animals as much as we do. Slowly but surely, maybe in a very small way, we are succeeding.

New Arrivals at IDA Deonar

2010-09-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

All these four infants arrived practically on the same day, all four as beautiful and charming as can be. Both sets have lost their mothers and now they are at the greatest risk. They are not yet two months old - that is, the "safe" age, when the young pup or kitten can mostly make it. It's likely that they might fall ill and in the middle of hundreds of other animals, the going gets very tough.

That's why we are constantly on the look out for foster parents for these cute little types. Caring for them at home is pure pleasure. They have very simple wants - they eat, play and sleep a lot. Yes, they do mess a bit, but they are also very fastidious when it comes to 'going to the toilet' and learn very quickly with a little gentle guidance.

There are other pleasures in looking after young pups or kittens. They are such fun to watch when at play. A pair of kittens can get up to so much mischief that they can make you rock with laughter. One of the most endearing sights in the world is to watch two small pups at play. They run off with each others toys, engage in mock fights and tug-of-war with an old sock or anything that they are provided with. After play, the little ones get so exhausted that they will sleep for upto three hours at a stretch.

Yes, it is not at all difficult to keep a pair of little ones in foster care. And the wonderful thought is that you are giving them a chance of simply living a good long healthy life. Something that they probably will not experience, waiting at an animal shelter for someone to come and adopt them.

Foster Pups Sandy and Tutu

2010-08-25T22:52:00.000-07:00

These two are really cute little tykes and were rescued from beneath a bush when it was pouring with rain. They both had maggot wounds on paw and mouth and it was fortunate that they were rescued in time.

Both are now bright eyed and bushy tailed after treatment from our vets at IDA and because they have been kept in a safe house in foster care. This is just what our tinies need to give them a start at a good life. Foster care. They thrive when they are kept as safe as any healthy baby, well fed, warm and safe in their foster home. This is where they can safely wait to be adopted and that's the next step we get busy with.

In the home, they can be easily trained to 'go' in the proper place - check out the newspaper in the first picture. They quickly learn to relieve themselves in the correct area, no matter how small they are.

Sandy has a lovely fluffy black brown coat and Tutu is beautiful with her shiny black fur.

Both are waiting to be adopted. Wish them luck!

Meet the Contestants!

2010-08-25T02:42:00.000-07:00

Taking part in our competitions on Homeless Animals Day, you can see our first nominee for Most Goodlooking Male dog, Bruno, in the first picture.

Our lovely Prema took part in the most good-natured dog category and was a close runner-up to the winner, Lalu, our Mr Smiley! Little Sanju was one of the contestants for Prettiest Female and in the last picture, you can see the smallest winner Daisy, adjudged cutest puppy, along with her sister, Lulu who is the pup on the left. Both the sisters are just one month old and at present in foster care. (Their mum was run over by a truck when they were just 5 days old.)

We were happy that quite a few people made it to Deonar on this day to spend some time with all the animals who are all 'homeless'. We are also happy that a couple of them were adopted a few days after this particular function was held and are therefore no longer homeless!!

Homeless Animals Day at Deonar

2010-08-25T02:31:00.000-07:00

Saturday, 21st August was International Homeless Animals' Day. At our Deonar Centre, we observed this day by felicitating three 'Champions for Animals', who are quite fearless and tireless in seeing to the welfare and protection of all the animals they encounter on a daily basis. They are Lata Anklekar, Durga Rai and Muneira Sheikh. They can be seen receiving certificates and gifts from IDA President Fizzah Shah.
Our animal friends were not forgotten. We held a competition for Most Good-looking male dog, Prettiest female, Most Friendly dog and Cutest Pup. Big handsome Jackie won in the first category. Our shy Ms Blackie won in the second, Lalu won hands down - he really is most friendly - in the third and Paplu and one month old Daisy, tied for the title of Cutest Pup.
Needless to say, a good time was had by all!

Sun Bathing on the IDA Roof Top Retreat

2010-08-25T02:28:00.000-07:00

This is the roof of our shelter cats' cage. We have a beautiful collection of mature cats, abandoned at our Centre itself by unscrupulous people. They are all in a long and large enclosure, but we have made a small opening at the top and they all soon discovered the escape hatch. They just love strolling about the roof tops at the Centre and all come back through the opening as soon as dinner is served!
As soon as there is some sun (we are enjoying the monsoon rains at present), most of the cats make a beeline for the roof, which gets nice and warm. They spend the whole morning lazing on this 'sun deck', in a state of bliss!
If you are interested in a people friendly cat, who is lazy and gorgeous, come check them out. And yes, you can take one home if you like, you will never regret it. They are just beautiful, and very, very appealing.