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.

Visit to the Shelter

Stopped by the local Animal Sanctuary to meet with Dr. Raju about my doggies and also to get up-to-date with whats happening -- but definitely don't need an excuse to go to the Shelter as I'm always happy to visit the ever growing animal family there. And one of the first doggies I met was this nice little fellow hiding in a large bundle of hay. It certainly seems like he's found a comfortable spot!

Oh my, this is sooo snuggy!

All through the Animal Shelter compound there are little hideaways and bamboo leaf huts for the animals. And in the below hut I found Lakshmi the cow.

She is around eight years old and proved to be a good mother and milker, sadly she damaged her leg and her owners sent her in her weak and injured condition to the slaughterhouse. The Animal Shelter intervened while the cow was in transit, appropriated her and brought her back to their facility.

Below is Leslie Robinson the founder of the Animal Sanctuary at Tiruvannamalai spending time with what has now become a BIG favourite of his - Lakshmi the cow.

Below a photograph of her damaged leg. It is expected that Lakshmi will stay at the shelter for several months and then move to a large farm facility some kilometres distant where she will live a life of ease and retirement -- and good for her after all the milk she has produced in this lifetime!





Couldn't leave the shelter without checking on my own favourite -- 'Baby' the monkey. Check out the March Posting to view photographs of the little monkey when she arrived at the Shelter and the improvement of her injuries and condition just five weeks later at this posting.


Little 'Baby' gets lots of time and spoiling at the shelter and in the below photograph she is preparing to eat her nice crunchy snack. She looks loved and contented - quite a change from the horrors she experienced at such a young age. Before the opening of the Animal Sanctuary at Tiruvannamalai there was no facility in the area that was either interested or capable of intervening in such cases. Now everyone in town knows that they can get help for their own animals or for any creature in distress or difficulty.

Animals at Arunachala

Fido on Arunachala looking at the world

Glad for the rest from pulling that cart!

Is this angle okay?

Ahhhh!

I've always wanted to be a jockey!

Peacock fanning atop Ramana Ashram

Animal Shelter Update

At the Arunachala Animal Sanctuary there are seven staff members and a part-time cook (lots of doggie meals to make!). In the below photograph, the two Animal Shelter vets, both with post graduate degrees from the renowned Chennai (Madras) Veterinary College. Dr. Pushpalata (the lady) focuses primarily on clinic duties and Dr. Rajasekaran’s main focus is the ABC Sterlization Programme.

This is a before photograph of a little monkey named Baby, currently resident at the Shelter. You can read more about him at this link.

And now below the wonderful 'after' photographs of Baby. He is sitting with a friend (another injured monkey brought into the Shelter by a member of the public). Baby is in the foreground and see how all those terrible wound have healed -- his new friend is sitting in the back with a very loving hand on Baby's arm.

There is even a third young monkey resident in the 'monkey cage' at the Animal Shelter. So lots of playtime!

Below one of the resident Shelter dogs, checking out all the noise and commotion coming from the 'monkey cage'.

The Shelter comprises two main buildings. One houses a sterile operating theatre, a modern clinic examination/treatment room, a small isolation ward, a small dispensary, a reception verandah, and a large retaining cage. The other building has three large retaining cages -- and a fully equipped kitchen.

A painting on the outside wall of the Animal Sanctuary, shows Mahatma Gandhi with his famous humantarian words: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

In utilising an ABC and Anti-Rabies Programme, the Animal Shelter aims to control population and eliminate rabies. Homeless street dogs are captured, brought in, sterlized, given anti-rabies injections and allowed to remain at the Shelter for up to six days to recuperate and are then returned to their original territory. Since the opening of the Centre well over a 1,000 dogs have been sterlized and given anti-rabies injections.

In addition to ABC sterlization programmes for homeless dogs, many locals bring in dogs (both street dogs and pets) to the Shelter’s Clinic for veterinary attention. As well as dogs, all small animals (and sometimes farm animals in emergency situations) are provided with care and assistance. The Arunachala Sanctuary is open seven days a week and provides emergency services 24 hours a day.

The Shelter also provides hospital facilities especially in the case of animals who need isolation or have to be kept in retaining areas. For animals that cannot survive on their own, the Shelter offers them sanctuary for the rest of their lives. Dying animals are given intensive loving care at the Shelter; including IV’s, pain killers, antibiotics and lots of good food.

The grounds of the Shelter are now grass-covered and filled with plants and saplings. Around the grounds are coconut leaf huts for dogs to hide during those hot summer days. Lots of space and room for puppy and doggie games and fun.

Below is a photograph of Leslie Robinson, co-founder of the Animal Shelter. A lover of animals who hails from Ann Arbor, Michigan, U.S. He worked as an Actuary in the States until he met his guru, Swami Muktananda in 1975. The meeting was to totally change his life and Leslie travelled with Swami Muktananda and spent ten years in Swami’s ashrams in the States and India. Leslie is currently living at Tiruvannamalai.

And here is Gina Suritsch, co-founder of the Shelter. Gina was born in Vienna, Austria. In the late 70's Gina relocated to Findhorn, Scotland where she lived for five years. After several years in Italy living at Ananda Community, Gina started visiting India in 1985. She now spends much of her time at Tiruvannamalai.

If you are not yet a subscriber to the monthly Arunachala Grace News, please check out the facility at the left margin of this site. This month we are featuring information on Wesak, the upcoming Buddha Festival, Arunachala Tidbits, a short narrative on a very unusual Bear, narratives on the Indian Treepie (common in Tiruvannamalai District), and Erythrina Indica and its properties (Indian Coral Tree). As well as some features about the mythology of Arunachala -- Arunachala Grace News will also have a narrative on the history of the Animal Shelter and why Leslie Robinson and his friends felt compelled to create the Sanctuary. Arunachala Grace News, May 2008, issue will be sent out direct to subscribers email inboxes within the next few days -- remember to sign up for your free subscription.

Dusk at Samudram

Well as is probably true throughout the world, the metrological office got it wrong again - and instead of lots of rain and thunderstorms, we haven't had a drop of precipitation for the last two days. Now that I am again able to walk, after my enforced cellulitis bedrest, my dogs finally get that which is even more important than a fine dinner - WALKIES. Poor things, they have been so patient and now finally the GOOD LIFE can be resumed.

It used to be possible to take them out to the Lake throughout the day, that is until they reverted to their wolf heritage, and one day unexpectedly went after a baby goat (but the story had a happy ending with baby goat making a full recovery). Since then walkies occur at no-goat timings i.e. not between 10.00 a.m. - 5 a.m. Which is fine for us, so we either go early in the mornings or at dusk - which is much to be preferred. Something rather special in sitting by the side of the Lake, watching dusk fall upon Arunachala.

The first photograph is of Victor, the newest addition to our family of 6 doggies. He was an abused dog, and we were asked to adopt him and give him a new chance of life. And what a life its turned out for him - swimming and playing with all his new doggie family, and lots of good yummie food. He is filling out nicely.

The next photo is of the only girl in the family, Holly, she is about 3 years old and came to us as a waif at our doorstep when she was just 4 weeks old. Most people call her Princess, because she is such a dainty little thing.

The next is mad little Muffin, who is nearly a year old. He too turned up at our doorstep when he was about 6 weeks old. He stayed and stayed, and after about 2 days, thought we would let him in and give him a saucer of milk - and he's never left. A mad, playful little dog that everybody falls in love with. And Muffin knows how to push people's buttons - he turns folk into jello!

The last photo of the series is Caspa (named after Casper the Ghost) because he was completely white for the first 2 months of his life. Caspa is a part of triplet boys who were born at our house 3 years ago last January. Two of the other lads, playing somewhere in the bush, and are named Oscar and Wally.

So they play and swim, and lark around and just enjoy absolutely the very BEST part of their days. Oh! Walkies.

My Kids

For absolutely no reason other than these little angels are my pride and joy, here is my family.

Three brothers (left to right; Casper, Oscar, Wally) with matching jaunty, genetically flawed left floppy ears, that make them look like they have just returned from a night on the town. The little princess (green collar) in the front, is Holly.

The newest addition to our family is Muffin, a labrador type (?), who spends his days following and grovelling at the feet (paws!?) of the little princess Holly.