The Search for a Site for an Animal Shelter

PFA's initial experiences with an informal sterilisation and immunisation programme showed PFA that a concerted effort to sterilise and immunise strays would only be possible after it had its own facilities for looking after the animals. And thus began the search for land. The search for an appropriate site to base the activities of PFA was a long and frustrating one. By this time, PFA had expanded considerably, a lot of expectations had been raised and there was no way to meet them without a base from which to operate. In the absence of funds, the only way to get a site was the 'beg, borrow or steal' approach.

Suitable land was first identified in Pernem. Though this was at one corner of Goa, PFA was ready to accept. But the proposal finally fell through. Then suitable land was identified at Nachinola village. This proposal seemed to be on the verge of fruition, when it was scuttled by objections raised by some Comunidade members.

Persistent requests by the PFA to the Government for land to start its animal welfare work seemed to be bearing fruit when in July 1998, the then Chief Minister, accompanied by two PFA trustees, made a special visit to Dharbandora in Ponda to inspect some land that the Animal Husbandry Department had indicated as being suitable. The land proved to be totally isolated and cut-off, without any facilities whatsoever, and the CM actually had to persuade the desperate trustees not to accept the land as he judged it to be unsafe, besides being without any communication facilities. Instead, he promised the trustees that he would assign the PFA some land on a temporary basis at the site of the Sanjivani Sugar Factory in Ponda. Just when PFA heaved a sigh of relief, political fortunes-always fickle in Goa-changed yet again and there was a change of Chief Minister. PFA had to struggle along without a base for some more time. When the problem was solved, it happened in a rather unexpected fashion.

Our First Animal Shelter in Panjim

(PMC Animal Shelter, Next to Hindu Crematorium, St. Inez, Panaji Tel: 2225850)

Briefly, the situation that prevailed earlier in Goa was quite horrific. On receipt of complaints of dog menace, stray dogs would be randomly shot on the streets by dog-shooters. This practice was started by the Portuguese when they ruled Goa and it continued even after the colonial era ended.

Pursuant to directions from the High Court in a writ petition filed by the PFA, the Council drew up a Scheme to control the stray dog population. The AWO, on its part, agreed to procure the funds for setting up the shelter and for running the ABC programme.

The PMC could see that the work would progress much faster if a shelter ere made available to PFA. Under the direct initiative of its then President, Mr. Ramesh Silimkhan, Mr. Satardekar, then Chief Officer and Mr. Joachim Colaco, Goa's first major animal shelter for the stray animals was erected in mid-1999 on a plot owned by the PMC at St. Inez, Panaji.

The PMC shelter was to be managed by PFA.

On 27th September 1999, the Panjim Municipal Council and People For Animals-Goa (PFA) signed a Memorandum Of Understanding to work jointly towards solving the problem of overpopulation of stray dogs in the municipality. No time limit was fixed for achieving targets but PFA estimated that it would take around three years to deal with the problem.

And the Scheme worked. The Council assigned the land for the shelter and paid the salaries of 5 staff who were trained in dog catching by the AWO. PFA obtained Central Government grants for construction of shelter premises, purchase of vehicle and for running the ABC programme. The State Government provided the services of a government vet thrice a week to the animal shelter.

People too willingly contributed towards the upkeep of the shelter. Second-hand medical equipment, sacks of rice, tonnes of old newspapers, food for the animals and of course cash donations regularly made their way to the shelter, all of it generously donated by doctors, medical institutions, hotels and ordinary caring citizens.

During the three years that P.F.A. managed the Panjim shelter, it covered around 6,000 stray dogs under the Animal Birth Control programme. 4813 were sterilised and vaccinated against rabies, and returned to their street locations, healthy and under guarantee of no more pups. 660 were certified unhealthy by the veterinary doctors and euthanised by humane means. A couple of hundred more dogs were administered anti-rabies vaccines either at camps or when brought to the shelter by their owners. Nearly 150 abandoned puppies and homeless dogs were re-homed under the adoption programme.

The combined dedicated efforts of four agencies - the Municipal Council, the State Animal Husbandry department, the Animal Welfare Division of the Central Government and the AWO - were able to effectively deal with the problem within a reasonable time frame. What is commendable is that the programme achieved its targets while avoiding unnecessary cruelty to animals and simultaneously ensuring that human lives were also not endangered. There has not been a single rabies case reported in this municipality during the entire period.
True to the expectation, it has taken just about three years for the Animal Birth Control programme to make a successful impact on the stray dog situation. In November 2002 the Council informed PFA that it now felt confident enough to handle the animal welfare programme on its own. On 31st January 2003, the MOU was accordingly terminated and the Council's Chief Officer wrote to PFA as follows:

"This Council would like to place on record the deep appreciation it has for the work undertaken by the P.F.A in Panjim. The work done by P.F.A. in Panjim has been commendable by any standards. The dedication and effort put forth by your organisation to run the stray dogs sterilisation programme has actually begun to bear fruit and has put Panjim Municipal Council high above most areas in respect of sterilisation. Kindly accept our sincere appreciation and gratitude for the assistance and work done by your organisation for Panjim Municipal Council and the city as well."

The joint effort not only worked, it worked very well. It is worth recounting here, only to show how a lot of good can come when local authorities and citizens put their hands and heads together to solve a problem. It is hoped that other municipalities will take a few lessons from the Panaji experience if they wish to deal with similar situations in their areas.

While thanking the Council for its cooperation, the President of PFA said: "Joint programmes of government bodies and NGOs are uncommon and when these function well, they must indeed be applauded. It was our privilege to work with the Panjim Municipal Council and that our work was to your satisfaction is our greatest reward."

The Council also agreed to reimburse the costs incurred by PFA to construct the animal shelter at Panaji. The shelter had been constructed with funds obtained from the Central Government. The money that is reimbursed will be used to set up the animal shelter in Vasco, where land has recently been allocated to PFA by the Mormugao municipality for conducting the stray dog control programme.

The PMC is presently running the ABC programme on its own at the Panjim shelter. It deserves to be complimented for taking this bold step for effective management of the stray dog population in the city.

Some of the medical equipment at the PMC Shelter has been donated by Goa Medical College, the Goa Animal Husbandry Dept., and also by private doctors. Special mention must be made of the generous donations of medicines regularly received by PFA from Dr. Deep Bhandare and Dr. Ulhas Kaisare. Dr. Bhandare, an eminent orthopaedic surgeon (and dog-lover), has visited the shelter on numerous occasions to treat animals with injured limbs. Old newspapers are regularly provided by individuals and institutions. Regular supply of meat-trimmings is received from Delhi Durbar, a prominent city hotel. Hotel Nova Goa and Hotel Mandovi are two other hotels which are also extremely supportive of our activities. DPC Motors donated a stretcher for injured animals. The newspaper establishments give us free space from time to time for our press releases informing the public of sterilisation camps or other services provided by PFA.

A Second Shelter in Vasco

(MMC Animal Shelter, Next to Ekta Engineering, Shantinagar, Vasco Tel: 2532514)

In August 2000, PFA was requested by the Mormugao Municipal Council to commence sterilisation cum immunisation programme in the Mormugao Municipalty. Temporary premises (small sheds) in the heart of Vasco city were provided to enable the programme to commence immediately. As the shed could accommodate only 13 cages the number of strays sterilised each month could barely make a dent on the stray dog population of Vasco. However PFA was assured that land for a permanent shelter would be assigned to it shortly and a site was also tentatively agreed upon. Two Municipal staff were also assigned to the programme. PFA trustee Ms. Nagmani Kadekar took charge and the sterilisations commence on 24th August 2000.

In the end it took nearly three years before the permanent premises in Vasco could be allocated to PFA for an animal shelter. It was with much relief and great happiness that PFA accepted the permanent premises assigned for animal shelter in Vasco by the Mormugao Municipal Council in January 2003. Managing Committee member, Milan Naik, tirelessly pursued the matter of permanent shelter premises with the municipality and her efforts bore fruit when she was finally able to secure the new premises on 27th January 2003 at Shantinagar, Vasco.

Although the area had to be cleared, levelled and thoroughly cleaned, since it was being used practically as a garbage dump by the residents of the locality, we are happy that we can finally conduct a full-fledged stray dog programme to realistically deal with the situation in Vasco. To our good fortune funds for construction of this shelter have come from the reimbursement of costs paid to PFA by the Panjim Municipal Council for the Panjim shelter which was constructed with funds obtained from the Central Government.

Four workers are assigned to the stray dog programme, two of whom are municipal workers. Milan Naik very competently, diligently and devotedly oversees the programme in Vasco.

On 3rd June 2003 the Mormugao Municipal Council signed a Memorandum of Agreement with PFA whereby MMC agreed to pay for 4 workers assigned to the animal shelter and give a monthly travel allowance to PFA and PFA agreed to cover 1,500 stray dogs per annum under the Animal Birth Control programme. The MOA is initially for a period of three years, renewable if both parties agree to the same. The signing of the Memorandum of Agreement is an achievement for PFA as it brings yet another municipal area under the ABC programme and thus committed to the welfare of animals.
The Vasco shelter is managed by Milan Naik.

Our Third Shelter in Ponda

(People for Animals Shelter, Next to Govt. Veterinary Hospital, Curti, Ponda Tel: 9422445507)

In Ponda, land for setting up a shelter has been allotted to PFA by the State Government and a Lease Agreement was signed in August 2000 by the Animal Husbandry Dept. with PFA for a period of thirty years. In the meanwhile, until the shelter is constructed to enable a sterilisation programme to commence, temporary premises have been allotted to PFA for a shelter in the veterinar y hospital, Ponda. The shelter can accommodate about 20 cages. It was inauguarated on 26th April 2001. The Ponda Municipal Council pays the salaries of two staff required for the programme.

PFA has applied for a grant for construction of shelter at Ponda. This will be PFA's own shelter and will enable PFA to work not nnly for the municipalities in whose jurisdictions it presently operates but for all panchayats and municipalities who approach it for help in dealing with control of stray dogs population in Goa.