An injured dog awaiting treatment

A female dog awaiting sterilisation

 Dog-catchers placing a dog in a sack for transport to the GAWT van

Many stray dogs and cats originate from discarded pets (usually females) who then continue to breed on the streets.  The rest are just descendents of stray / feral animals.

Many of these animals will never know what it is like to have the comfort and love of a family and home.  These pups and kittens often die slow and agonising deaths, through malnutrition, disease, or injuries sustained from other animals or being hit by vehicles on the roads.

Some lucky ones get a new life through being adopted via one of our “puppy camps” which are run most Sundays after church services in selected locations across South Goa.  These animals are cleaned, wormed and vaccinated, and the new owners are given a voucher for sterilisation when their new pet reaches the appropriate age.  GAWT volunteers also foster animals on a temporary or permanent basis wherever necessary and possible.

GAWT has a number of programmes and initiatives in place to reduce the number of unwanted animals and to help find them a loving home. These include:-

• Sterilisation of stray animals
• Private sterilisation for pet animals
• Treatment of sick, injured & abandoned dogs & cruelty cases
• Anti-rabies vaccination camps for pets & adoptions

We travel over South Goa collecting stray dogs and cats that are in need of our help from the beaches and streets.  Apart from regular visits to various locations, we can also respond to specific requests from members of the public or friends and GAWT volunteers regarding animals in distress.  You can call the Shelters or visit the Charity Shop in Colva. 

Private donations and the Indian Government jointly funded our GAWT vans, which we use to collect and return animals.

We could not survive without these vehicles; but they cost us money to run!  In addition to fuel and maintenance, we have to fund drivers, the dogcatchers and their equipment (leads, collars & nets etc.), plus medicines.

If you’re in the area, keep an eye out for the vans; do come talk to us and watch us at work!

Please help us anyway you can.  Feel free to contact us for more information about any aspect of our work.

Click here for information about the number of animals treated by us

Click here for some examples of our work from the Gallery

Animal Birth Control (ABC) Programme

The ABC programme is an internationally known and accepted method of controlling the stray dog population.  It is, effectively, a mass sterilisation and vaccination programme and is proven (both in India and elsewhere) to be the only effective way of controlling the stray dog population and preventing the outbreak of rabies.

Our GAWT vans, with a team of dog-catchers, visit an area known to contain a number of stray dogs and collects up to 10 animals per trip, where possible.

The dog-catcher’s standard equipment comprises of a pair of heavy-duty arm-length gauntlets (yes - sometimes the dogs try to bite when being caught!) and a large hessian sack with steel rings around the neck and a rope through the rings.  The sack is thrown over the dog and the rope pulled tight to close the sack with the dog inside (well that’s the theory!).  Sometimes, a dog can be caught by hand and then placed in the sack.  The dog is then quickly carried to the GAWT van and released into the back.

On returning to the shelter, the veterinary doctor examines them to determine the best course of action – treatment (for minor ailments), sterilisation (after treatment if necessary) or euthanasia (for very sick animals).

Animals requiring treatment are moved to the main kennels and the relevant course of action initiated.  They are then moved on for sterilisation when sufficiently healthy.

Animals selected for sterilisation (including those that may have had treatment first) are kept in holding cages overnight and operated on the next day.  During the operation, the right ear is clipped with a “V” shape to show that the animal has been sterilised.  They are then placed in recovery kennels where they are fed, walked and medicated (including anti-rabies vaccine) until the healing process is complete (5 days normally, 7 days in the monsoon). 

The animals are finally returned to their original area (most important for their well being) as healthy and safe dogs.  The average life of a stray dog in India is 4-5 years, with no possibility of producing puppies after sterilisation.

If you want to find out more please contact us.

             

       

Veterinary Doctor Jayaram Dessai and assistant at the Curchorem operating theatre

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Private Treatments for Pets

We are campaigning for responsible pet ownership.  The key message is Vaccination and Sterilisation for your pet.

Did you know that a single un-sterilised female could give rise to over 50 extra strays in under two years?

The average litter size is 5-6 puppies, of which (say) 3 will be females.  After 6 months, unless they are sterilised, each of these females will probably get pregnant, giving birth to another litter each – that’s a further 18 puppies, of which about half (9) will be female. 

In 6 months, those 9 female puppies, if not sterilised, could themselves get pregnant and give birth – that’s another 54 puppies (9 litters of 6 puppies each). 

And we haven’t counted the litters that could be caused by the unsterilised male dogs!

We offer sterilisation at an affordable amount to encourage pet owners to take responsibility for this situation.  Both dogs and cats can be treated at our Curchorem facility.

If you want to find out more please contact us.

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Sick, Injured & Abandoned Dogs

GAWT answers calls about sick and injured dogs; accident victims are given priority.  If the animal can be treated, it is brought to the shelter and, after medication, released back in its own area.

Dogs with mange are treated where found if possible, since bringing them to the shelter infects other dogs, which must then be isolated for a number of weeks, taking up space which could be used by other dogs on the ABC sterilisation programme.

It is an unfortunate fact that GAWT continues to come across cases of significant cruelty to animals – usually dogs - in South Goa.  The law is very clear – you can be fined and sent to prison if you are found guilty of cruelty, and GAWT will seek to prosecute wherever possible.

We also follow-up complaints of cruelty to dogs, visiting the owner and premises.  If necessary, we take possession of the animal (with the help of the police if circumstances so dictate) under the Prevention of Cruelty Act 1960.

Treatment is usually necessary, after which we try to re-house the animal.

If you see a case of cruelty, please let us know so that we can “name and shame” the individual(s) concerned and take legal action where appropriate.  You will be recognised as a good citizen for so doing.

“Who kicks a dog kicks his own soul towards hell.”
~ Will Judy

Laws of the Land

1.        Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 (Act 59 of 1960).

2.       Wildlife Protection Act 1992.

3.       Indian Penal Code 1960.

4.       Delhi Police Act 1968.

 

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960 (Act 59 of 1960)

Punishable Offences under Section 11

1.    Beating, kicking, over-riding, torturing or causing any animal pain or suffering by the owner or any other person.  Using any animal for work, when it is wounded or unfit.

2.    Charring or transporting animals in such a manner that it causes suffering.

3.    Caging or confining an animal in a cage, which does not allow the animal sufficient space for movement.

4.    Failing to provide pet animals with sufficient food, drink or shelter.   Abandoning an animal when old or diseased, keeping it on a short leash and insufficient exercise.  Pet-owners are covered under this act.

5.    Mutilating an animal: cutting ears or tails.

Penalty:  All these offences are punishable with a fine, which may extend up to one hundred rupees or with imprisonment for a term, which may extend to three months or with both.

 If you want to find out more please contact us.

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Anti-Rabies Vaccination & Puppy Adoption Camps

RABIES ! What’s it all about ?

Charmian Byrne, who set up the GAWT programme 10 years ago, reviews the project:-

"September 28th 2010 is World Rabies Day, and the Global Alliance for World Rabies Day recently applauded our achievements in their newsletters.

Global Rabies Prevention & Control: We tip our hats off to Goa Animal Welfare Trust.  Since 2003 they have vaccinated a total of 25,000 canines and felines! Goa Animal Welfare Trust is a small organization located in India. To learn more about this organization and how you can become involved visit www.gawt.org."

Some Key Facts:-

• Rabies is widely distributed across the Globe. More than 55,000 people die of rabies each year. About 95% of human deaths occur in Asia and Africa.

• Most human deaths follow a bite from an infected animal which has not been correctly  treated .

• Wound cleansing and immunization done as soon as possible after suspect contact with an animal can prevent the onset of rabies in virtually 100% of exposures.

• Left untreated, once the signs and symptoms of rabies start to appear there is no treatment, and the disease is almost always fatal.

• Both pet and stray dogs can be carriers of the rabies virus.

• The most effective strategy for preventing rabies in people, is by eliminating rabies in the dog population  through anti-rabies vaccinations over  a period of several years,  to reduce the contact rate between rabid and susceptible dogs to a level too low to sustain rabies transmission within the population.

• Inadequately managed dog-bites hinder progress and education is needed to create awareness.

GAWT  holds about 40 anti-rabies camps for pets across South Goa from September to June each year. We concentrate on areas where there is no veterinary service available, or where communities are a considerable distance from veterinary help. During the 2009 – 2010 season we gave 2,573 vaccinations at these Camps, an increase of nearly 200 from the previous year.

Our camps are heavily subsidized by us and made available to all. They are run by volunteers; a veterinary doctor and two trained assistants are present. We use the best vaccine, “Defensor”, made by Pfizer,  and give the owners a personalised Vaccination Schedule for each dog showing when the next vaccination is  due.  No-one is turned away. We offer help, advice and medicines even if the owner cannot pay. This is the charity side of our organization; our concern is for the animals and there are people who look after their dogs, but cannot afford treatment or collars or simple dog soap, and we believe it is our duty to help these people in whatever way we can.

We also take puppies and sterilized older dogs to each camp, to be adopted, and many times we find owners bringing their dogs for vaccination and proudly showing us dogs that have been adopted from us, some over 10 years ago and every year their dogs have been vaccinated.  We are fortunate we have a tremendous “loyalty factor” which prompts people to return to us for a second dog, because they know it will be a healthy animal with good veterinary services, to back-up their adoption.

We couldn’t do all this without our volunteers, who give us the gifts of their time, fuel and presence almost each week , to help us with this very important community work. We are  also grateful for the help we receive from the local churches, junior chambers etc who help with the announcements and posters. To all of these people we say ‘Thank you for all the different ways you help us.’  I must mention too the many people who give donations to GAWT, or who in other ways support us so that we can continue with this very valuable programme . Thank you, without you we could not follow through  with all the other programmes we are running."

How do you contract rabies? 

• Rabies is virus that that is spread to people through close contact with infected saliva (via bites and scratches)

• First symptoms are flu-like, including fever, headache and fatigue

What to do if bitten by a dog?

• Immediately wash wound with plenty of antiseptic, soap and water, scrubbing the wound and washing well.

• As soon as possible contact  a Doctor. Most probably he/she will recommend a course of treatment and/or possibly a tetanus injection.

• Not all dog-bites are from rabid dogs. Try to find out if the dog has been vaccinated with the anti-rabies vaccine, this will give an indication if the dog is protected and unlikely to have rabies. A current vaccination Certificate will need to be produced to confirm this.

From September to May volunteers and staff from Goa Animal Welfare Trust give up every Sunday to take an anti-rabies clinic out into the villages around south Goa. We vaccinate about 1000 dogs and pups each month through these camps, as well as offering people a chance to adopt a puppy or kitten, buy worming treatments, shampoo, food and collars and leashes. There is a subsidised cost of Rs.50/- per vaccination, so we can offer this essential treatment to many people who couldn’t otherwise afford it.  Rabies is a serious problem throughout India, and so having your dog vaccinated helps combat this.  (We also vaccinate and sterilise every stray dog that comes through our Shelters, from the beaches and towns and villages.)  Adoptions cost Rs100/-, which includes free anti-rabies vaccination and sterilisation at six months.

         

Sunday camps are normally very busy, thanks in great part to the local priest who announces the date and place during Mass. Usually we hold the camp near the village church under some trees, arriving at 8.30 am to set up the shop, tables and chairs, get the vaccinations ready, and take out the puppies and kittens we have brought for adoption. These provide great fun throughout the morning for everyone, as they chase each other, mock-fight, sleep, or just sit watching the goings-on. People pour out of church and inevitably make straight for them, "ooh" and "aah" for a while, and then go home to collect their own pets to bring for treatment. They arrive back on foot, by scooter, in shopping bags, by bicycle, by car and by taxi, sometimes with up to three dogs. There follows a couple of hours of happy chaos, as dogs sniff each other in greeting, children play with the pups, and adults take the opportunity to bring each other up to date on local news. Meanwhile the real work of vaccinating is continuing in the background with our veterinary staff and volunteers.

By mid-day we are all exhausted, and start packing up after another successful camp, looking forward to the next one. See lots more pictures from our Camps here.  

If you want to find out more please contact us.