Aid the animals

Our organization In Defence of Animals is working for the welfare of animals. We have a center at Deonar in the eastern suburbs of Bombay. The main item on our agenda is to sterilize the street animals to prevent their proliferation. We sterilize 250 dogs a month and cats too, but in smaller numbers. We also render treat­ment to innumerable ill and injured animals that are brought in by our ambulance every day. While surgeries are performed by visiting surgeons, we have a full-time veterinarian, an animal officer, nine wardboys to man the center round the clock, two ambulance drivers and an office staff.

To manage such a huge establishment, in spite of spending every penny judiciously we need approximately Rs 1.15 lakhs each month. We do get some aid from the animal welfare board but it is not sufficient to meet our expenses. Unpaid bills have piled up and a stage has come that if we cannot pay the bills, the sup­plies could stop and eventually we will have to curtail/stop our work. Ours is a fledgling organization trying to fight against all odds and meet the crunch month after month.

To add to our troubles our ambulance which is five years old and which runs 80-90 km each day has broken down. Without the am­bulance we cannot reach out to our animals in distress.

We need your help to keep up with our work. Donations may be sent to In Defence of Animals, 7, Shanti Kunj, 124, Hindu Colony, 5th Lane, Dadar, Bombay 400014, tel: 24142195, 24143412.

ABAN P. BHOTE