Where animal welfare is prime

Where animal welfare is prime

Established more than a century ago, Karuna Animal Welfare Association of Karnataka is actively working towards prevention of cruelty to animals and to secure their welfare. The need for the suffering stray animals is a shelter over their head and humane control over their increasing population. Bangalore-based Karuna Animal Welfare Association of Karnataka is an organisation which feeds and cares for abandoned, homeless and rescued animals. Their animal shelter houses over 300 dogs, 50 cats, 50 birds and 10 large animals. The organisation helps many animals in distress. One such instance is of a puppy who fell into a well and yelped for help for two days. A kind person called up Karuna and informed them about this puppy. Karuna immediately sent its ambulance and they found a two-month-old puppy yelping from an old 60 ft deep dry well. One of its brave attendants got down into the well and rescued the puppy with the help of other staff members. This is just one of the incidence, Karuna has plenty.

History of the organisation

Established in 1888 as Bangalore Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the company took a new name Karuna Animal Welfare Association of Karnataka in September 2001. Karuna is a member of WSPA, England and North Shore Animal League, USA.

Objectives

• Prevention of cruelty to animals and to secure their welfare.
• Building and maintaining shelters and rescue homes for animals.
• Provision of ambulances for animals in distress.
• Humane education to bring/spread awareness about animals.
• Holding of periodical animal shows and awarding prizes to owners of animals which are well looked after.
• Organising painting, essay, elocution and other competitions on animal themes to promote kindness to animals among children.
• Conserve, protect and promote endangered species of animals.
• Organising animal welfare training programmes for volunteers and awarding certificates.
• Conducting pet adoption programmes to provide loving homes to strays. Conducting animal birth control operations and anti-rabies vaccination for dogs/pups to control the increase in stray dog population and to prevent rabies.
• Providing effective night-time emergency services by identifying veterinarians from different zones of Bangalore.

Facilities at animal shelter

Spread over an area of 3,000 sq m, their animal shelter is well equipped with operation theatre, examination room, 42 kennels, 5 open kennels, one puppy section, large animal sheds, dog run, aviary, cattery, retired police dogs section, besides shelter facility for other animals. They have two ambulances for large animals, one for small animals and one BMP vehicle for animal birth control project.
According to Dr B C Ramakrishna, president of Karuna, “The organisation strives for animal welfare on a scientific, practical and realistic bases. We are trying to create a more harmonious relationship between animal and man. Concern for animal welfare is simply part of the broad spectrum of concerns for humanity itself. Our responsibility towards stray animals is to ensure their freedom from hunger and thirst and give them medical attention.”
For more info, contact Karuna Animal Welfare Association of Karnataka, Kasturba Road, Bangalore – 560001, Ph: 22860205 or e-mail: karunabangalore@sancharnet.in