National Award to the Karuna Society

The below posting is connected with animals, but happily much more cheerful than the several preceding narratives that I wrote about Rukku the Elephant.

On 8th March 2018 Clementien Koenegras, The Karuna Society President and Founder, in recognition of her work in the service of animals, received the 'Nari Shakti Puraskar' award presented by the Honourable President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovindji. Congratulations to you Clementien.

Receiving Award from the President of India

The Karuna Society at Puttaparthi was a major inspiration to the creation of the Arunachala Animal Sanctuary here at Tiruvannamalai. The Karuna Society is doing truly remarkable service in Andhra Pradesh and I recommend you visit their website and learn about their work.

History of The Karuna Society

“Hello! My name is Clementien Koenegras, President of the Society and I'd like to tell you how Karuna Society came to life.

When I arrived in Puttaparthi with my husband and son in 1995, it didn’t take much time for me to see the suffering of animals all around. I saw countless street dogs with pups, often run over by buses on the main road. I was also concerned about donkeys dying on the side of the main road without any help.

Very soon my house was full of sick animals and I was helping out on the street as much as I could. Of course, I was not the only one moved by this misery. A small group of devotees from the UK came forward to help and to provide funds, and the "Animal Rescue Project Puttaparthi" was born on 23rd August 1998 with the help of CUPA (Compassion Unlimited Plus Action) from Bangalore. In 2000, we felt we were ready to make our own decisions and planning and on September 18 "Karuna Society for Animals & Nature" was registered.

Setting up the shelter/clinic for treatment, in-patient care and sterilizations was the first step. Then our horizon widened and we became aware of the suffering of milking animals, starving calves and illegal transports to the slaughterhouses. In 2002 we rescued the first cows and buffaloes from illegal transport. Over time we have taken into our care more than 700 head of cattle. At present, approximately 300 head of cattle are with us including donkeys, a few horses and a camel.

Becoming more and more aware of our wider environment, we found the suffering of wildlife appalling: hunting by the local communities, droughts, electrocution of wildlife by farmers to protect their crops; there is no end to it.

At present, we are starting the construction of our new wildlife rescue centre close to the reserve forest, for which we need more support. There, sloth bears, deer, monkeys, birds and snakes will find the care they need.

On a personal note, being so intimately involved with the lives of animals has given me a very profound experience of the oneness and equality of all life forms emanating from the Divine.”

Message from Leslie Robinson

The below is in connection with the previous post about 85 Abandoned Animals Rescued by Arunachala Animal Sanctuary. 

In this regard Leslie Robinson, Founder of the Arunachala Animal Sanctuary is sending you this personal message. 

Leslie Robinson at Shelter

Message from Leslie Robinson 

Dear, dear People: 

In the 10 1/2 years we've been open, I have never, never heard of anything like this...or, this big. 

We just rescued 85 abandoned, starving Creatures. An entire village. 17 cows/calves/bulls. 6 large bullocks. 2 sheep. 56 goats. 4 pigs. 

Many of you have not heard of us before. When we opened, the animal situation was awful here. Over 7,000 homeless animals. 350 suffering and dying creatures on the streets. Rabies. Abuse. No facility to treat the animals. No small-animal vet within 70 kms. It's really different, now. The relationship of the animals with the people they live day in, day out has been totally transformed. The core of our Work is demonstrative love. We have a Staff of 21, volunteers, plus two full-time veterinarian doctors, both surgeons. The Animal Welfare Board of India in a public letter said we had established ourselves as one of the best in the Nation. 

We've hired ten extra caretakers to give around-the-clock care that alone cost 100,000 rupees a month. And the food cost is around 150,000 rupees...Coming to almost $4,000 US a month. 

We really need help with this. 

Love, Leslie Founder/Director 

********** oOo **********

To find out more about the work of this organisation and details of how to donate, please visit the Arunachala Animal Sanctuary at this link here. 

85 Abandoned Animals Rescued by Arunachala Animal Sanctuary

In the first few days of August, 2017— 85 animals abandoned in dire conditions in a village 75 kms from Tiruvannamalai were rescued by the Arunachala Sanctuary. 

“Abandoned by their owners, 85 animals that were left to starve for several days found a new home after being rescued by members of Arunachala Animal Sanctuary and Rescue Shelter in Tiruvannamalai.” 

After discussions and support from Tiruvannamalai Municipality, a contingent from the Arunachala Sanctuary arrived at the village with a flotilla of transport vehicles and rescued the animals. 

To learn more about the whole incident and details of how you can help, please refer to the below PDF report from Leslie Robinson of the Arunachala Sanctuary. 

Arunachala Animal Sanctuary Needs Your Support

I have often written in Arunachala Grace about the Arunachala Animal Sanctuary and Rescue Shelter here at Tiruvannamalai, and about the excellent, life saving and transforming changes they are making to many animals in these parts. 

When asked what organisation is most worth supporting at Arunachala . . . I always put the Arunachala Animal Sanctuary at the top of the list. 

I remember the days that "animal control" in these parts meant culling dogs by strangling them with garrote wire on the streets and then tossing the carcasses in the backs of bullock carts to be taken off to be incinerated. I remember the days when mange encrusted dogs lived a life of suffering in the sewers of this town. I can recall if a cars' or autorickshaws' wheels ran over a dog's legs that it always meant a certain death sentence for the poor creature. 

The Arunachala Animal Sanctuary are controlling the numbers of street dogs in the area by offering free sterlisation operations. They participate in taking food out to feed starving homeless dogs living on the streets, bring in infested animals and board them while giving the suffering creatures mange and skin treatments. The Sanctuary is also responsible for finding forever homes for numerous puppies and previously unwanted dogs. In addition to sterlisations on Dogs, the Shelter also performs many different types of operations on cats, monkeys, cows, horses, goats and a host of other creatures. 

The very best thing Arunachala Animal Sanctuary has done is to provide ongoing education to those at Tiruvannamalai about compassion and service to our animal brethern and it was through their intervention and education that horrific dog cullings were stopped many years ago.

The Arunachala Animal Shelter desperately needs our financial support and in this respect they today started a fund drive on "Global Giving" to raise around U.S.$50,000 within the next 31 days. Please visit the page at this link here so you can learn more about how to help our dear doggie and animals friends at Blessed Arunachala. 

Animal Sanctuary at Arunachala

I visited the Arunachala Animal Sanctuary and Rescue Shelter today to check up on the two baby squirrels I wrote about in a recent posting at this link here. The progress of the squirrels is uneven, they both have their eyes open but one of the babies is plumper and healthier than the other.

In the above photograph Doctor Raja (in the plaid shirt) and Raja a long term and much valued attendant at the Shelter are feeding the little squirrels with a dampened wad of tissue soaked in milk. I asked Dr. Raju why they didn’t use a dropper or syringe (without needle). He informed me that when using such implements there is a real danger the wee creature will aspirate by taking in the liquid too quickly.

Arunachala Animal Sanctuary is a no-kill shelter which permanently houses a number of seriously injured animals. As well as a sanctuary for injured or sick animals, it also performs neutering operations on dogs and cats. 

Now that road surfaces have been improved all around Tiruvannamalai, drivers are keeping their foot on the accelerator and even around the girivalam roadway, auto rickshaw and car drivers are driving at flat at speeds. This is not safe for you as a passenger and particularly dangerous for the many animals living near the girivalam and other roadways around Tiruvannamalai. 

Below is a very sad photograph of a 10 year old monkey who was run over by a car and is now paralysed. The shelter is his Hospice as he is not expected to live much longer. The monkey is not in pain and is receiving loving attention and very good food including lots of tasty fruits (the seeds in his cage are the remains of recently eaten watermelon). 

If you are in a autorickshaw and the driver is speeding, please tell them to SLOW DOWN. Make sure the driver pays attention and does what is requested . . . thank you . . . you may have prevented yet another monkey or dog being paralysed or killed. 

As of June 1, 2013 the statistics at the Shelter are as follows:- 

Rescues Estimated 1,504 
Dogs Sterlized 5,101 
Anti-Rabies Injections 8,341 
Clinic Visits 20,063 
In Patients Treated 59,685 
Non Dogs Treated 1,756 
Dog Adoptions 614 

Julie, her story is in below link

To read about some of the animal rescues performed by the Shelter visit the section on their website entitled Great Dog Stories at this link here. 

If you would like to participate in the work and service of Arunachala Animal Sanctuary please visit their donation page at this link here.