Indiamay be blessed with many dedicated animal welfare organisations but we tend tooverlook instances of neglect and abandonment which are common forms ofcompanion animal abuse.
DoctorJairam Desai, former veterinarian of the Goa Animal Welfare Trust, now aprivate practitioner, has a few sordid tales on this issue.
In2010, the GAWT Center where Doctor Desai was posted at the time was faced witha case unlike most. “A man walked in with a pariah that could barely walk, on aleash. The dog suffered second degree burns leaving it in great pain. The owners claimed that someone had poured hotoil on the dog.” An outraged Doctor Desai says. After the stipulated two monthperiod for recuperation, the GAWT made a call to the dog’s owner, stating that90 per cent of the dog’s injuries had healed. The shocking response of theChandor based owner was that he was ‘no longer interested in the dog’. As DoctorDesai states,” This is a case of two way cruelty, first by the person whomaimed the dog and then by the owner who deserted it. With the owner refusing to claim the dog ashis own, the GAWT under the supervision of Doctor Desai, ensured that dog, laterbaptised Mr. Burns, was completely cured before putting it up for adoption. Mr.Burns is now happily relocated at a home that ensures that he is loved andcared for.
Citinganother instance the doctor said that following the case of Mr Burns, he receivedanother call. He said “During the monsoons, I received a call from a friend inMargao, telling me that his neighbour was in the habit of chaining his Dobermanin the pouring rain. When we rescued the dog, we realised that it had beensubjected to this treatment on a frequent basis and was frail andundernourished.” he recalls. Further inspection revealed a dog infested withticks. Post extensive treatment, the Doberman made a full recovery, and washanded over to a friend who took great care of it.
Anotherinteresting case was that of a harlequin Great Dane, found wandering on thestreets of Goa Velha. “The dog was covered in maggots and looked like it hadn’teaten in weeks,” says the person that found and then cared for the animal. Threemonths, kilos of special dog food and medical treatment later, The Great Daneis now quite healthy and being cared for, but instances like this are graduallyincreasing.
Itis indeed shocking that a country that has one of the best animal protectionlaws in the world and a renowned heritage of reverence for life is also acountry where millions of animals suffer severe neglect or abuse.
