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!