BENGALURU: While most individuals and organisations are sending flood relief materials to affected people in North Karnataka, a few NGOs and animal lovers are working to help stray animals and livestock.
Pavan and his friends from Bengaluru spent a week travelling to Mudhol in Bagalkote, Mudigere in Chikkamagaluru and several places in Belagavi to help animals affected by the floods.
“While we are not doctors, we are trained in giving first-aid to animals. We co-ordinated with nodal officers on the field and visited houses where animals had been left behind,” said Pavan, adding, “We also taught people how to feed baby animals.” Pavan said he is looking for more volunteers and funds to make a second trip to affected areas.
Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) a Bengaluru-based NGO, also sent a team of veterinarians to flood-hit areas, co-ordinating with Animal Husbandry Department officials on ground.
“We treated more cattle in villages in Belagavi. They were taken from inundated places to gaushalas, where they were treated for dehydration and their wounds cleaned. This is necessary to counter shock caused by the disaster,” said Suparna Ganguly, founder and trustee at CUPA.
Animal lovers who went on field said several dogs and other smaller domestic animals could not be saved, and that it was easier to rescue larger animals.
Hubballi-based Hemanth Byatroy, who works with Humane Society International (HSI), went along with his team to Dharwad, Gadag, Belagavi, and Bagalkote.
“We asked veterinarians on ground what materials they were running short of, which we took with us. We visited the districts and managed to feed 6,615 cows and buffaloes, and distributed medicines to 12 locations,” said Hemanth.