ANIMAL RESCUE KERALA IS LOOKING FOR A NEW OWNER

Current owner and founder of ARK is forced to leave due to illness

I was dreading the moment this remarkable woman had to stop her amazing work because the animals of Kerala are depending on her. But there must be a way to keep Animal Rescue Kerala running. Please read the following and spread the news. I am sure there are people out there who can help!

When I met Avis in 2008 at her animal center in Kerala I was impressed by her enthusiasm, her courage and her determination. She had given up her own comfortable life in Britain to dedicate her life to the stray and ill treated dogs of the Trivandrum area in Kerala.

But she was getting older and her health was becoming a problem. Four years ago she told me that she was afraid that she had to give up the work she was doing at the animal center. It was very painful and hard for her to think about that. But now the time has come and she needs to say goodbye to her beloved animals and her daily work at the center. She is simply too ill to continue.

However, all her efforts, her daily care for sick and ill treated animals, her fight against the brutal killing of dogs, her awareness programmes must be preserved. Animal Rescue Kerala needs to survive, because it is so much needed in the area. Who can take over Avis' work and the center in Kerala? There has to be a animal welfare group or a animal lover who wants to continue with ARK and keep the center going.

ARK needs your help! Could you please forward this message and the accompanied letter from Avis's daughter and post it on the Web where ever you can. There must be some one out there who can help Avis. She has done amazing work during the past ten years to help the dogs, now it's our turn; let's help Avis!

Stephanie Engel







Letter from Odette, Avis' daughter:

Due to serious illness, Animal Rescue Kerala, ARK, is looking for a group to take over the running and financing of its center based near Kovalam, Kerala.

Animal RescueKerala was set up over 10 years ago to implement the Animal birthcontrol/anti rabies programme (ABC/AR), however it also has a hospital which treats any sick or injured stray dogs, as well as offering a reduced rate/free service to pets (dependent upon owner's circumstances).

The center site encompasses approximately one and a half acres, within a walled compound. Half of the area is developed; with a purpose-built hospital, education center, puppy house, cattery and kenneling. Approximately 200 animals -dogs, cats, puppies and kittens can be housed at any one time.

The undeveloped land, also walled, is currently used as an area for dogs to run and play. This area would lend itself to be further developed perhaps for staff accommodation or further kenneling.

My mother, Avis Lyons, who currently runs and finances ARK, has suffered with cancer and has many complications from this so is looking for a like-minded organization to take over the runningof the center (as soon as possible). As there is currently no other active group in the area the service ARK offers is desperately needed.

The centeris on a 30 year lease from my mother to the Animal Rescue Kerala charitable trust, this lease will be passed over, free of charge, to the new management with provision that the lease be renewed prior to expiry, however the center must continue to be run the ABC/AR programme and to treat animals with compassion and empathy.

The center currently costs £1,000 (GBP) to run each month, which equates to approx Rs.80,000 (INR); this funding will need to be met by the new management.

Please visitour website: at www.animalrescuekerala.org For further details please email Odette on odette@animalrescuekerala.org

Photo story | Visit to the Dog Centre

Avis Lyons and her staff at Animal Rescue Kerala take care of ill-treated and dehydrated animals, abandoned pups and kittens, and dogs that have been hit in road accidents.

They also control the stray dog population by vaccination and sterilisation so that dogs won't gang up, spread rabies and become a danger to the community. Dog killing is still happening in Kerala, although it is illegal and very brutal. To keep a community rabies free and to let people live side by side with the stray dogs it is important to monitor the dogs like ARK does.

There are many people in the Trivandrum area who feed street dogs and even take in some of these dogs or keep them
on their premises. The dogs are held for protection or as pets. But sadly some people do not know how to take of dogs or do not realise that dogs are living creatures too with feelings and needs. Too often Avis and her team come across street dogs and pedigree dogs that are completely dehydrated and starved because they were locked up or chained without water or food. Some have horrible burns and others have deep cuts in their flesh from the chains around there neck.

ARK takes care of these wounded and traumatised dogs. They also respond to calls from people in the area who report an abuse or a problem with dogs. And they explain to people how to look after a dog at home. The center can house up to 200 dogs, pups, cats and kittens. There is an emergency section for dogs that need special attention and a surgery where the vet treats the dogs and cats.

Below you will find a short report of my first visit to the dog center.

When I Met Avis and the Dogs

Driving down the main road from Kerala's capital, Trivandrum, to Kovalam Beach, Animal Rescue Kerala is hidden in a green bush just off Kovalam junction.
















Once we've reached the centre I am standing in front of two high gates, one on either side of the road. To the left is where Avis lives, together with her volunteer vets, about 20 dogs and two horses in a large and beautiful garden. To the right there are the kennels. Avis gives me a tour starting with a warm welcome by a large pack of dogs at the gate.

These dogs are in a very good state. They are all rescue dogs and have been treated for some sort of injury. Once maltreated or undernourished they now roam around happily at the center.






Some of them are enjoying a little siesta on the patio after getting their much deserved daily attention. Others are searching my bag to find the piece of bread I have put in there earlier that morning.




In front of the gate is the main building housing the surgery, with the puppy and kitten section on the first floor. The puppies jump up and produce high pitched barking sounds when they see me.






In the other corner is the cats' enclosure. A little kitten hangs with all fours to the fence and desperately tries to get my attention. There are a few adult cats and many little ones. It's hard to count how many, they are everywhere.




The vet and the nurse are feeding one of the cats by hand, injecting a fluid because the poor skinny thing has an upset stomic and refuses to eat.





Outside to the right of the main building are the 'hospital beds'. This is the E.R. of the centre. In these three cages the new ones are recovering from an operation or treatment.





There is a brown street dog with a broken leg in a plaster and a huge maggot wound on his back. He is a wild dog with many scars in his face and an extremely sad look in his eyes. God knows what this animal has been through.




The vet explains that they get many street dogs with broken legs (usually hit by a car) and dogs with maggot wounds. When a dog gets injured, flies lay their eggs in it and then the maggots get in. During an operation he shows me a maggot.




The dog in the second 'hospital bed' also has a broken leg and she is heavily pregnant. A few days later the vet tells me that the little white dog has given birth to six puppies. Another challenge for Avis and her team to find good homes for these little ones.




To the left of the main building are the kennels. In total there are about eighty dogs, Avis tells me. A lot of the dogs in the center are strays that have been steralised. But to my surprise there also quite a few pedigree dogs.




The first dog that catches my eye is a huge Great Dane with a lively character. Oh, how much I would like to take him home, but how on earth am I going to fit this massive Scooby Doo Dog in my flat? Avis tells me that she has found a good home for him.




There is a young Doberman in the middle of the kennel buildings. He is extremely thin, his bones are visible under his skin. Avis explains that he is actually doing well, because he was barely alive when he reached the center.




Next to the Doberman sit two small street dogs in another enclosure. This enclosure has a fence that doesn't even reach my knee. For these dogs it isn't necessary to create a high fence as these dogs are not able to jump it and run off. They can't go anywhere because they can't run.

One is paralysed from the waist down and the other has had her back legs cut off by some monster. Both of them are hopping around on their front legs, with their back end lugging behind them.

Want to make a difference?

Sign the Kerala Dog Petition to stop the brutal slaughtering of dogs by the local government of Trivandrum. If you have already signed, then you can help us further by finding other people who oppose to animal cruelty and make them sign too (it will take a few minutes)! Thank you very much.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE: KERALA PETITION

The link is: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/boycott-kerala-tourism-to-save-animal-slaughter

Donations from Generous Animal Lovers

Before going to India I emailed my friends to inform them that I was going to do a little volunteer work during my holiday. I asked them for a small donation for the dog centre in Kerala. To my surprise I received a very generous amount in donations from many people, accompanied by very kind and supportive messages.

On Friday 10th of October 2008 I went to Animal Rescue Kerala to surprise Avis with the huge amount in donations. Avis was overwhelmed.

And I was proud to be able to give her this substantial amount to support the incredible work she is doing. I experienced myself how much the dogs need and deserve it.

The total amount in donations on the 10th of October was 430 euro! On the 13th of October some more donations came in, raising the total sum to 540 euro! And again after the 13th more donations for the dogs came in. On the 17th of October the total amount for ARK had risen to: 645 euro.

The total amount on the 10th of November is: 795 euro!

The following people have contributed to the vast amount that we have raised so far for the dogs of Trivandrum:

C and C Lorist
M.de Jong
H. Verhoogt en E. Verbruggen
J. Lourens
J. Buis
S. van Hasselt
L. Garcia
N. Ligthart
V. Snijders
L. Giesberts
E.S. van Duren
AM. van Erven-Baggen
G. van Os-de Jong
M. van Vloten
A. Bentum
M.J. van der Wijk
L. Jelicic de Boer
H. van Kampen
A. Vittoz

Avis told me to say thank you to all of you. So: THANK YOU!

Donations are still (and always) welcome. If you have a few euro or pounds to spare, transfer it to my bank account (43.03.03.130, S.Engel, Amsterdam) or pay it directly to the center via the donation section on their website.

Information on ARK's financial situation
It's actually quite simple: being a foreigner Avis doesn't get any funding whatsoever. It's pure discrimination. It's heartbreaking to hear what she has to go through. Moreover because her organisation is the only animal welfare organisation that actually deals with the work involved to rescue dogs in this area.

ARK is the only orgnanisation implementing the ABC/AR (Animal Birth Control/Anti-Rabies) programme; a programme set up by the national government in 2000 to control the stray dog population and to fight rabies. Other animal welfare organisations on the other hand do get funding but do nothing to help the dogs. Avis has sold her house in England for ARK and put in a lot of her own money to be able to continue the work she is doing.

You can read more on this matter in the section called 'dog killing'.

Photo info | 'Donations from Generous Animal Lovers' - Ph1. A dog at Animal Rescue Kerala that has had both her back legs cut off. She can only stand on her front legs. Avis has special 'wheel chairs' for dogs that can't walk. Ph2. Avis at the dog centre holding a little white dog that is paralised due to a car accident. Photos © s.engel

Below a letter by Avis Lyons from ARK thanking all of the people who have donated. In this letter she also explains how your money is used to help the dogs.

LETTER FROM AVIS LYONS (DIRECTOR OF ARK)

Sree Nilayam, Azakulam,Vizinjam P.O. Thiruvanatapuram Dist.pin 695521 Phone0471 2796202/2483180
Charitable trust number 187 - 2005

On behalf of the animals in our care I would like to say a huge ‘thank you’ to the friends, colleagues and family of Stephanie who so generously donated to her fund-raising efforts.

Stephanie has raised 795 euros, which is a huge amount here in India, this amount would feed all the animals in our care ; over 120 dogs and puppies plus over 20 cats at any one time, as well as our two rescued ponies, for approximately 5 months!

Alternatively it could pay to sterilise approximately 120 dogs, either way every penny donated to ARK goes directly towards helping the animals in our care. I would like to say a special thank you to Stephanie for all her hard work in raising this money. It is very much appreciated.

Avis Lyons (director of Animal Rescue Kerala)

www.animalrescuekerala.org

Lots of information on dogs

Rishi Dev, an architect in New Delhi, is an Indian who really cares about animals. He has written a lot on the brutal killing of dogs in Kerala and other parts of the country. On his website you will find interesting articles, reports, pictures and much more. The poem on his frontpage is heart breaking and very beautiful. It's really worth a vist to his website:
Please. Help. Animals

Keep reading, there is more..

A Dog's Life - why you should read this blog (to the end..)

Visit to the Dog Centre

Dog Killing (plus interview with Ragini)

Information ARK on Dog Killing and Petition

Dog Tales (cruelty stories Avis told me about)

A Dog's Life

This blog is about 'drops in the ocean'. With the drops representing every rescued dog. And the ocean being the Trivandrum area, capital of the southern Indian state of Kerala.

Kerala is also called 'God's own Country'. Because I look at Kerala from a dog's perspective I call it 'God's Dog Country' (and yes, this also explains the name of my blog). You might have noticed the funny coincidence that the three letter word G.O.D makes up the word D.O.G. when you spell it backwards(a forward email with this pun is actually circulating the Web). But in Kerala there is nothing 'divine' when it comes to a dog's life.

Why Kerala is called 'God's own Country' I don't know. It is a phrase often used in tourism advertising. You'll see it on billboards and on posters featuring clear blue seas, green carpets of coconut trees and white sandy beaches. And that's reality too here. For some, us lucky tourists, it's exactly that: a divine place for a tropical experience in a part of India that offers relaxation, adventure, culture and excellent cuisine.

However, for the dogs it is a completely different story. The cruelty animals are subjected to is disgusting. Dogs (stray dogs and petdogs) are being killed on a massive scale. And then there is the ill-treatment of dogs. Dogs with broken legs or semi-paralised dogs because they have been over-run by a car, dogs with maggot wounds because their chains cut deep wounds in their flesh, dogs with severe burns because people have poured boiling water over them, and dogs who had their legs cut off by some horrible creature with a sick mind.

These are awful things that can really get you to hate people. But that is absolutely not what I am intending to do here. The aim of this blog is not to make you downhearted. It's not meant to make you feel uncomfortable, guilty, or feel bad in any way. The aim of this blog is quite the opposite. It's meant to make you feel good, because you can do good.

Yes, the world is a shit place at times and there are a lot of nasty people doing horrible things, leaving others to deal with the results of their actions. But (and here is the good news) there are so many little lights in this world who clear up the mess and repair the damage.

Here in the Trivandrum area it is a British woman called Avis Lyons who does everything in her power to help these poor animals. Six years ago Avis gave up her comfortable life in Britain to move to Kerala and start a project to help dogs: Animal Rescue Kerala (ARK). At the moment she has nearly a hundred dogs in her care, which have all been subjected to a form of ill-treatment.

Her work and that of many others in this field is often referred to as 'a drop in the ocean'. It's these 'drops in the ocean' I would like to talk about on this blog, because I believe that every little drop deserves an warm applause from a large and encouraging audience.

Dog Killing

Mahatma Gandhi (1869-1948):"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animal are treated. I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man."

On Gandhi's birthday, the 2nd of October 2008, we went to Trivandrum to interview Ragini, a 63 year old Indian woman who had lost three of her dogs to the Trivandrum Corporation because of dog killing operations. Avis picked me up at 2pm in her little ARK van. Just before we left for the city three men came to us screeming 'dog bite, dog bite'. We assumed they meant a dog had been bitten, or attacked by another dog, so we parked the van and followed the men into a nearby house.

But as we got there, there seemed to be nothing wrong with the dog. Not in the sense that he had any injuries that needed to be looked after. It turned out to be a classical case of stupidity of people who do not understand animals. They had called us because the dog seemed to go for them, trying to bite them. Something that wasn't very strange as the poor animal had a huge chain on this neck and stood in the burning sun without any water or food.

It was clear that the dog was frightened to bits. It had its tail between its legs, all the way up to its tummy. And when trying to approach the dog it would bark loudly and jump around nervously pulling the chain. In a very strict tone Avis told the men that they had to give this dog water and to take care of it. She would send in someone later to come and pick the dog up.

We continued our journey to Trivandrum, rushing to make the appointment with the lady I was about to interview. Avis had asked me the previous day to write an article about this woman. It concerned a personal story behind the dog killing which Avis needed for a court case against the Trivandrum Corporation.

There had already been a court case against the Corporation before the High Court of Kerala. This particular case ended with a sole statement by Corporation claiming that they were implementing the ABC/AR programma. Which, of course, was a total lie. They don't vaccinate or steralise any street dogs, they only brutally kill them. On a vast scale. Avis hopes that the court case before the Supreme Court in Delhi will finally put a stop to the indiscriminate killings of dogs.

Below you'll find the article I wrote for ARK about Ragini and the matter of dog killing by the City of Trivandrum.

Protecting Trivandrum's stray from harm
Friday, 3 October 2008
TRIVANDRUM - Ragini has had to go through the pain of losing a beloved dog three times. Three times it was taken away and killed by the Trivandrum Corporation. The 62 year-old telephone supervisor from Trivandrum tells Animal Rescue Kerala (ARK) her story.

"I have no children, these dogs mean everything to me," says Ragini. She is no exception, she says, when it comes to caring for animals. "There are many people here in the Trivandrum area who respect and take good care of street dogs." However, Ragini is an exception to the rule when it comes to talking about the breach of the 1960 Cruelty to Animals Act by the Trivandrum Corporation. People are afraid to speak out, says Ragini. "We all know that the killing of dogs is illegal, yet the City continues with its dirty business."

Not only does Ragini voice her concerns about the welfare of dogs in and around Kerala's capital, she has also taken legal action. She went straight to court after losing her first dog to the brutality of the Corporation in 2001 at Mulavana Junction. "Three of us were feeding that dog; a lady doctor, a workshop man and me. He was a very good dog and everybody was fond of him. He wore a collar and slept in the workshop. This was also a dog that took care of us, because he walked the women of this neighbourhood who returned home, to their doorstep."

Ragini returned one day to an upset and distressed workshop man at Mulavana Junction to find that their faithful friend had been taken away. The man told Ragini that he had heard the dog crying out after they caught him. Despite his best efforts the man couldn't save this dog. He ran after the vehicle but the dog-catchers had injected the dog with lethal cyanide – killing it. Eventually, he had to run for his own safety as the corporation staff threatening him with the cyanide needle.

Ragini has many dogs to look after. Many are in danger of being targets of the Corporation' s indiscriminate killings. Apart from the four dogs in her house, she looks after many in different places in Trivandrum. Most dogs are treated by ARK according to the 2000 ABC/AR programme – the only charitable trust that actually implements the vaccination and sterilisation of dogs in this area. The ABC/AR (Animal Birth Control/ Anti Rabies) Rules were supposed to stop the killing of dogs. However, with the continuous killing of dogs, ARK's work has been made nearly impossible.

In 2004, Ragini's lost another dog that was caught and killed. This helpless dog was appropriately vaccinated and sterilised and caused no discomfort to the neighbourhood. On the contrary, Ragini recounts: "she was a sweet little dog who stood at my doorstep every day waiting for food, even in the pouring rain." The same year, Ragini's case went to court. Unfortunately, due to physical health problems she wasn't able to proceed further. In her petition, she stated that this was 'a matter of public importance' and that 'animal welfare organisations had expressed their consent to proceed with the matter'.

The judgement on the 4th of September 2007 stated that Trivandrum Corporation had told the High Court of Kerala that they were taking measures in accordance with the ABC/AR programme. The agitation and pain in Ragini's eyes are obvious when talking about this statement. "It is not true. They are lying! They don't stick to the ABC/AR Rules at all! Instead of helping the dogs, they harm them and kill them. And they cover it up by saying that these dogs are a danger to people." she exclaims.

ARK and people like Ragini know for a fact that the Corporation has been killing dogs for many years. But in April 2008, they started again on a vast scale. 'Kuthati' was one of the many victims. She was the third of Ragini's dogs to be brutally killed and buried by the dog catchers. All for a mere 20 rupees paid out by the Trivadrum Corporation. 

Ragini still shows signs of distress when she speaks of that old dog. "She was sterilised, vaccinated and she wore a special collar. All the workers at Kailhamukku knew her." Ragini is now convinced that they killed poor old Kuthati to get back at her. "They killed my dog for revenge. They're trying to weaken my mind."

Not only are the dogs in the Trivandrum area in danger, so are the people who try to protect them, according to Ragini.While walking down the streets of Trivandrum recently, Ragini was pushed from behind by two men. Apart from this frightening incident Ragini has been threatened many times. However, she stands her ground. "They keep harassing me, but I will not give up. I am fighting for all animals and I have God on my side".

Petition Stop the Brutal Killing of Dogs

Avis has nearly everything ready to take the Trivandrum Corporation to the High Court in Delhi and sue them for the horendous killing of dogs in the area. She has a lot of proof; pictures and videos of dogs being beaten, kept in tiny cages for ours in the baking sun awaiting their painful death and many documents and testamonies.

'All' that is left to do is raise a 100.000 signatures of people who say NO to the cruelty of dog killing. Twenty thousand have already signed, another eighty thousand will be needed. so, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AGAINST DOG KILLING!! Thank you.

SIGN THE PETITION HERE: Petition on care2

Note: The petition to help ARK stop the brutal killing of dogs in the Trivandrum area in Kerala has been created on the Care2 website. As you will see the text accompanying the petition speaks of a tourism boycott. This boycott has been added to the petition to put more pressure on the government. The welfare of dogs is not very high on their list, so an additional pressure point is needed to achieve the much needed result, which is of course an end to the killing.

I talked to Avis about this, because I was afraid that the tourism boycott part in the petition might put some people off and stop them from signing it. She realises that, but there is not much she can do. She says that tourists are very welcome in Kerala and especially at her center. But she hopes that people will realise that behind Kerala's enchanting tourism spots there is another world that isn't as beautiful and that needs a lot more attention.