Cyclonic Storm Titli made landfall in Odisha, India, on 11 October, bringing extensive flooding and landslides in its wake. The cyclone affected 273,425 hectares of cultivated land, killing animals and people; outbreaks of disease soon hit cattle and working animals across the region.
SPANA acted quickly. Working through our trusted local partner, we provided emergency feed, vitamin supplement programmes, clean water and shelters for livestock and working animals in the remote Ganjam district of Odisha state.
To reach all parts of this largely agricultural district, a mobile emergency team took to the road, treating sick and injured animals while vaccinating against infectious diseases, such as foot-and-mouth. Communities were also provided with essential veterinary supplies.
Over 7,200 vulnerable animals, including donkeys, goats and cattle, benefitted from SPANA’s emergency programme.
In our first collaboration with APOWA, we designed an ambitious project that involved treatment, training and teaching.
By the end of our project, we aim to:
By the conclusion of the education element of our project:
SPANA has worked with HIS since 2015, providing free veterinary care for camels. As well as helping the brick kiln donkeys near Jaipur, the team attends the Pushkar camel fair, which attracts over 200,000 visitors.
Throughout the year, 8,334 camels were treated, with common conditions including wounds, lameness, mange, diarrhoea and colic.
Training is also encouraging owners to recognise the harm caused by some traditional practices; the team is working to end the use of traditional nose pegs, which are a significant cause of injury.
Night-time road traffic accidents are commonplace; our project is addressing this by fitting free cart reflectors to improve visibility.
SPANA’s work with TOLFA began in 2015, and reached over 2,000 children annually by the end of the project. Our work focused on the ‘Five Freedoms’ of animal welfare, helping children to recognise animals as sentient and to develop kindness and compassion.