International Animal Rescue: Puppy adoption in Tamil Nadu

Hello dear friends!

I’ve just got hold of this recent report from our sister centre in Trichy, Tamil Nadu where the team’s efforts to teach people about the joys of dog ownership are reaping real rewards. 

Enjoy!

Love Olive x

PUP ADOPTION SCHEME

by Jothiraj Ratnam

International Animal Rescue, Trichy, plays a key role in the Animal Birth Control and Anti Rabies Vaccination projects run by the local authorities. IAR also operates a free puppy adoption scheme to find loving homes for unwanted puppies.

The huge increase in the street dog population during the past ten years has been mainly attributed to poor waste management by the local authorities. Simultaneously, the increase in the number of meat and fish stalls provides plenty of protein for scavenging street dogs which prolongs their lives, increases their fertility and reduces the number of puppies that die.

Whenever the IAR team goes out catching dogs for sterilisation, they collect any orphaned or abandoned puppies and bring them back to the shelter. We do not sterilise bitches with puppies or pregnant animals.

If we get a call to notify us of any stray puppies in need of help, we go and collect them and bring them back to the centre. Sometimes too the public brings puppies in and leaves them with us.

Two pups wait patiently for their forever home

We clean and feed the pups, keep them in a cosy place and show them to any visitors, particularly children, who are interested in adopting one as a pet.

The concept of “catching them young” is our approach to pup adoption, in terms of both humans and animals. Whenever there is a school holiday the children throng to the clinic to see the puppies and adopt one. They enjoy taking a puppy home and this contagious enthusiasm attracts more and more boys and girls. 

It may be that the cost of a pedigree puppy is too high for an average family, but the children are desperate to own and care for a pet and so happily take up our puppy adoption offer.

Ready to leave the clinic with their
new family!

When handing the puppy over, we get a commitment from the adopter that under no circumstances will they abandon the puppy but will take care of it for the rest of its life. We provide free anti-rabies vaccinations and a declaration form stating that in future we will treat the pup and sterilise it free of charge. We even offer a suggestion on what to call the puppy, based on our knowledge of its personality.

The official handover

The scheme has become more and more popular. So far this year we have found homes for 15 puppies and re-homed some 112 pups since the scheme was started. By and large we are happy with the people who adopt the puppies and show love and affection for a fellow creature. And this really motivates us in our efforts to educate the public about animal welfare.

Even though it is a small step, it is definitely in the right direction!

Find out more about the work we do in Tamil Nadu to rescue dogs.