Poor injured cow makes slow and steady recovery

Hello everyone,

Guess what...? I have another cattle story for you all. We nearly always have a full cattle pen at Animal Tracks because so many of these animals are hurt in road accidents or they get infections in their hooves and horns.

This cow's injuries were a little out of the ordinary though. She was caught in a bit of clutch cable wire which had become wound around the top of the hoof and cut deep into the skin. It is unknown whether the cow had got caught in the wire by accident or whether someone had tied it around her leg on purpose as a sick and cruel joke. The injured cow was all the way out in the village of Sanquelim, which is almost a one hour drive from Assagao but luckily the person who informed the International Animal Rescue team was kind enough to go back and tie the cow to a tree until our ambulance arrived. If she had gotten away she would almost certainly have died from her injuries as an infection would have set in and caused her to suffer in unimaginable agony.

The injury around the hoof was so severe that the cow has been under treatment since July. The wound is healing but it's a slow process and the cow must receive antibiotics for a long time to prevent any infection which would worsen the condition and could potentially be fatal. No owner has come forward to claim the cow and it is yet to be decided if she is to be put up for adoption or whether she can be returned to her location.

I will write again soon!

Happy ending for little burnt bull

Hello hello!

For some animals having an owner means you are cared for and safe from harm, or at least safer than if you were left to fend for yourself. Sadly some animals suffer even in the hands of their owners either directly - because the owner maltreats them - or indirectly - because the owner doesn't take action when the animal is in need of medical attention.

This little bull, I never learned his name, was brought to the attention of International Animal Rescue because a passerby had spotted it wandering around with severe skin injuries. When the vet and drivers located the bull and examined it, it became apparent that the skin injury was in fact burns caused by either acid or boiling water having been thrown at it. This is not an uncommon way for local people to ward cattle off their property. I wonder if they realise the damage and pain they are causing. The animal may die from its injuries if left untreated and needless to say the agony is unbearable.

This particular bull was only around 6 months old and it was brought to the centre for treatment. As no owner could be identified at the time when it was picked up it was treated as a stray and admitted to Animal Tracks. He was such a gentle soul and took all the painful treatment really well. Even Nicky, who normally likes to flex his muscles in front of any new cattle at the centre, left him alone. I think he realised that this one was particularly sensitive.

Then suddenly after spending one month at the centre a person turned up at the centre claiming the bull to be his. He also claimed that the bull was receiving treatment at the time when it was collected by our staff but this quite clearly was not the case. He just didn't want to be seen as uncaring in the eyes of the centre staff, I think. He was informed he could take the bull home when the treatment had been completed but that he was expected to cover at least some of the charges for it. This applies to all owned animals when it is deemed that the owner has the means to pay.

The owner promised to come back and pay and collect the bull when it had recovered but when that time came he did not turn up nor could he be contacted. It was obvious he didn't want to foot the bill and equally obvious that he had no care for his animal what so ever. The bull was instead adopted by one of the centre staff and he now lives happily with the other bulls owned by his family. No doubt this outcome was the best this little fella could have hoped for.

Warm woofs!

Ding dong bell, doggy in the well!

Hello everybody,

I have been feeling a little lazy lately hence my lack of stories for you all to read. Please forgive me... it's a dog's life in Goa sometimes!

This little story dates back to 27 July when the centre received a message about a dog that had fallen in a well in the town of Mapusa. The silly little beggar was chasing a chicken and didn't pay attention to where he was putting his paws. Alas, he fell and dropped around 22 metres into the water. Luckily a local resident heard him yelping and called out the rescue team. By the time the call was made and everyone got the well rescue equipment ready and reached the location three hours had passed and the poor chap was exhausted from struggling to stay afloat. The delay was also caused because the team were out saving an injured cow at the time when the message about the dog was received. Wouldn’t it be a blessing if we could be in two places at the same time!?

Once at the site a team of four people got everything in place and began wiring the cage down the well. It was a very steep and slippery climb for the boys but thankfully they made it in time to get the dog out safe and sound. It was half swimming and half trying to hang on to a protruding rock on the well wall. Apart from being exhausted the dog escaped the ordeal with just minor injuries such as a few scratches and aching muscles. It was taken to the centre for observation and recovered well.

In cases like these it's not just the physical injuries that have to be taken into account. There is always an element of psychological distress and the dogs need to be given time to recover mentally and regain faith in the environment around them. It is not uncommon for dogs to fall into wells and the team at Animal Tracks always do their best to rescue them before it's too late. In the past the centre has also received calls about puppies in wells and it is not unlikely that these have been thrown in by people who didn't want them. It’s a dangerous and sometimes sad world out there! I hope this fella has learned from his mistake and thinks twice before chasing the neighbour's chicken again!

Love from me!

The King and Queen of Hearts in Goa

Hello my friends!

I'm not usually one to speak in negative tones about any of my fellow centre dogs and I hope my friends Tina and Boris won't take offence about this little piece for my blog. I just thought that you all might enjoy learning a little more about them and the way they think they rule the roost around Animal Tracks.

Tina has been around for years. She's always been the madam at the centre and not particularly friendly towards the new and the small members of our pack. She takes no nonsense from anyone and if you catch her on a bad day you'd better keep yourself to yourself. That goes whether you're human, canine, feline or any other species for that matter.

Having said that she does enjoy the feel of a scratch behind the ear or on the tummy from time to time and any other dogs that are looking for the same pleasure had better wait their turn.

Tina is the perfect guard dog. Scary looking, loud, and strong enough to pull a tank: intruders definitely think twice before crossing swords with her. Having said this, when Tina decides to take a day off she doesn't bother with anything or anyone and you could march in and out of the centre at your leisure and she wouldn't even bother to raise her head.

Boris joined the centre gang more recently and straight away he was convinced that he was going to be the leader of all, big and small. He even decided to go a bit too far in his eagerness to protect the centre and managed to scare off a few visitors. Needless to say this didn't please Tina very much and they had it out with each other on more than a few occasions. When the fur started flying the rest of us just cleared off!

After a few months of snarling and growling at each other Tina and Boris decided that if they joined paws they could become the King and Queen of Animal Tracks. This was quite an admission of defeat on Tina's part since she has never succumbed to anyone's efforts to steal her place as Top Dog.

Soon the pair became inseparable and today their relationship is well and truly cemented. We never thought we'd see Tina make a very best friend and it's a pleasure to see how she goes all girly and flirty around Boris. Initially the rest of us were a bit concerned that the two of them were going to be a scary duo but love mellows even the toughest of souls and I can honestly say that both Tina and Boris have become so engrossed in each other that they tend to forget to boss the rest of us around. Let's hope they both live happily ever after!

Olive x

IAR saves Boxer from callous owners

Dear friends,

You wouldn't believe how much it is raining here at the moment. It's like someone turned a tap on in the sky. It's not much fun for us dogs because although we don't mind getting a bit wet we obviously don't spend very much time outside. On the upside it's much cooler now so we can actually breathe again!

A few days ago Animal Tracks received a call from a family in the village of Saipem. They wanted to have someone come out and put their 10 year old dog Boxer to sleep because he was suffering from bad mange and had a severe ear infection brought on by all the scratching. They were advised to bring the dog to the centre and that an assessment would be made based on Boxer's condition. Meanwhile Boxer's owners called a private vet to come to their house and he told them that with time and treatment Boxer could return to good health. However the family obviously felt Boxer didn't warrant this kind of commitment on their part because they kept insisting that they wanted him put to sleep.

In the end the only option was to pick Boxer up and bring him to Animal Tracks, as otherwise he was going to be left to suffer. When he arrived at the centre it was obvious that he was in a very bad state and in a lot of pain. Remarkably however he was in good spirits and wagging his tail at everyone. When the vets realised that Boxer's spirit had not been broken by his condition they decided to try to help him get well. First he needed surgery to clear up the ear infection. Then he'd need prolonged treatment for his mange and antibiotics.

The ear surgery has now been successfully completed and Boxer is recovering in the kennels. When he gets better he's going to become a member of our gang and I can't wait to welcome him into our group. I'm sure Tina and Boris will give him a bit of a hard time at first but hopefully he'll settle in ok. All that's left to say is shame on his owners for turning their backs on their faithful companion when he needed their love and care the most.

Love from me!

The making of Custard

Hello!

Lately I have been focusing a lot of my attention on some different and unusual animals, which have been spending time at the centre: birds, buffaloes, piglets etc. Today I figure it’s time to turn our attention back to dogs. I want you to meet Custard.

Custard was made a centre dog way back in December 2006 following nearly three months in the kennels as a patient. He was brought to Animal Tracks by some friendly people who had seen him get hit by a vehicle (in true Goa fashion the driver of the vehicle simply carried on driving!) Luckily Custard hadn’t sustained any serious injuries and he was quickly physically fit again. During his treatment however it became evident that he was severely mentally traumatised. It was unknown whether the trauma was caused by the accident or some early experience in his life. He was only young - approximately eight months old – so it is possible he used to belong to somebody who didn't treat him well.

All staff at Animal Tracks embarked on the project of befriending Custard and making him trust humans again. It was not easy however and gradually more and more people started to doubt that he would ever get over his mental trauma. The vets were concerned about releasing him because of his nervous condition and Custard became the subject of severe debate. What could be done for him?

After weeks and weeks of hard work Custard finally found a friend in one member of staff who forced him again and again to endure her company. It was painful at first and a very gradual process but the day came when Custard finally decided that he trusted her. He has since been released at the centre but he remains a very nervous and guarded dog. He doesn’t mix with the rest of us and keeps himself to himself a little off the centre property. He occasionally accepts treats from the hands of volunteers but will not go anywhere near anyone except the one person who did not give up on him. They remain close friends and still catch up from time to time.

I always thought Custard was a handsome fella and have tried on several occasions to wag my tail in his direction but so far all my advances have gone unnoticed. Maybe one day Custard will discover me and we can go down to the pond and watch the sunset together...

Lots of love

Introducing my buffalo buddies

Hi there!

Today I want to tell you about some really cool buddies of mine. I bet you think all I do is hang around Animal Tracks all day - and mostly you'd be right to assume that! It is not the whole truth though. I also spend quite a bit of time roaming around Assagao either with someone from the centre gang or on my own.

We like to wander off in the cool hours of the evening for a change of scenery. Some of the other centre dogs go off to chase cars or stray cattle or to get up to some other kind of mischief. I like to go down to the pond and visit this gang of buffaloes that like to go for an evening swim there. For a long time the little natural pond was dry because we were approaching the end of the dry season but now that we've had a couple of storms and heavy showers it has filled up again so they're all really pleased. They don't seem to mind that I join them in soaking up the sunset... only I don't do it from inside the water. I'm happy staying on the shore!

At the centre lots of cattle are treated for all sorts of ailments: horn cancer, maggot wounds, burns, fractures etc etc. Most cows, bulls and buffaloes have owners but usually the owner doesn't mind International Animal Rescue taking care of the animals if they need to be treated. There are those however who refuse to let their animal be treated at the centre. Maybe they're afraid they won't get it back. Or perhaps their religious beliefs prevent them from agreeing to let IAR take custody of their cattle. In Hindu religion cows are sacred and while it's great that this means you can't kill them, it sometimes means that they are denied treatment by the owner for fear that it will cause them to die. It's really sad because this means that animals are left to suffer. Luckily this bunch is fit and healthy so for now I can continue to indulge in a bit of sunset meditation with them down by the pond.

Love from me!