The government provides 12 Acre Land for Setting Up a Hospital & Rehabilitation Centre for Stray Animals at Bondanthila on Neermarga/Merlapadua road on the outskirts of Mangaluru
Mangaluru: There are a lot of adorable, harmless stray animals in every corner of the City. All they look for is some love and patting but sadly, they are all ignored. Animals cannot speak for themselves and for that reason, we need to protect them. It should be something that we should take pride in and respect. They are so common, that many of us barely stop to give them a second thought, rather a second look. However, if we could take out a few minutes from our busy schedules, we could do so much for them because these innocent souls accompany us wherever we go. They are like free bodyguards and companions when walking alone.
For them, every single day is about survival. They are ill-treated, shooed away and beaten up. And all they need at the end of the day is a WARM HUG! We need to make this world a better place to live in. THEY DESERVE TO BE TREATED IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE.
And luckily for a few hundred of these stray animals, the Good Samaritans aka Volunteers at ACT are doing their immense best in taking care of these strays with love and affection. There is a saying that “Dog is Man’s Best Friend”, but here in this situation, it looks like the Man/Men in Mangaluru City are not doing much in caring for these strays. When thousands of stray dogs/animals are a contravention of the act to keep animals in conditions affording inadequate protection or shelter against the weather, or in a manner in which an animal is excessively exposed to heat, cold, weather, sun, rain or dust.
And the Good Samaritans at Animal Care Trust who are dedicated and committed to rescuing hundreds of stray dogs and other animals and nurturing them at the ACT shelter, their kind contribution towards these neglected stray animals needs to be appreciated whole-heartedly. However, now The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), Dakshina Kannada, headed by the Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner, is working towards setting up a hospital and rehabilitation centre for stray animals at Bondanthila near Neermarga/Merlapadua road in the outskirts of Mangaluru.
L-R: Manjunath Vaddar- Administrative Officer_DD Office, Mluru; Dr Vasanth Shetty- Technical AD, DD Office Mluru; and Dr Aruna Kumar Shetty N- Deputy Director, Dept of AHVS, DK, Mangaluru
Speaking to Team Mangalorean Dr Aruna Kumar Shetty N-the Deputy Director of Dept of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Services, DK Mangaluru said, ” Recently under Dr Rajendra, the former DC of DK we had visited the spot and confirmed on setting up the project on a 12-acre land near Bondanthila where a Hospital and Rehabilitation centre will be set up for the stray animals in DK/Mangaluru. Dr Rekha M T-Chief Veterinary Officer of Veterinary Hospital, Bolar, Mangaluru had gone to the site to inspect the installation of the Borewell and Pump-set provided by DK Zilla Panchayath at the cost of Rs 4.2 lakhs and the work is getting started. Other basic facilities like electric supply could be provided soon, while The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) members/volunteers will have to raise funds for the further maintenance and care of the stray animals ‘.
Meanwhile, Ms Suma Nayak, an animal activist and trustee at Animal Care Trust (ACT), Shakthinagar, Mangaluru also a member of the district SPCA, said “The project is currently in its initial stages, focusing on laying the groundwork. We are actively seeking support from individuals passionate about animals, encouraging both financial contributions and the dedication of time and energy to help initiate and propel the project forward. SPCA will only operate as a quasi-governmental entity mandated by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, of 1960. It is a statutory requirement that each district establish an SPCA”
“In our district, the SPCA was inactive until Dr Rajendra, the then DK Deputy Commissioner, revived its operations, after which a 12-acre property in Bondanthila was allocated to the SPCA. The government may provide facilities through applicable schemes. Currently, the Zilla panchayat has facilitated a borewell, and efforts are underway to secure an electricity supply for the land. A decision has been made to establish a crematorium in the initial phase of the project. The committee, consisting of eight members, is currently in the process of forming a subcommittee dedicated to launching this specific project. A meeting was convened on 18 November 2023 bringing together individuals genuinely committed to animal welfare.” added Ms Nayak.
Ms Suma further said, ” About 12 individuals have expressed their willingness to become members of the district SPCA. Once the subcommittee is formalised, it will seek approval from the Deputy Commissioner. Subsequently, a comprehensive master plan will be developed, marking the commencement of fundraising activities for the project. ACT has been operating as an animal hospital and shelter for strays for the past 23 years, and functions as a privately-run NGO. In this particular case, the land is government-owned, but the facility is managed by the SPCA. The centre’s main focus will be on providing care for accident victims, injured animals, and permanently disabled and aged animals from across the district”.
Individuals passionate about animal welfare and keen on becoming members of the SPCA can obtain an application form and submit it to the Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry, Jail Road, Mangaluru for consideration. KINDLY DO IT FOR THE LOVE & CArE OF STRAY ANIMALS!