Meet the Fosters

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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.