Without SPCA, it’s an uphill task to rescue animals

With the SPCA being defunct in Coimbatore, it is a nightmare for any person to rescue a donkey or horse, be it a calf or adult.
While most animal welfare organizations lack facilities to transport large animals, veterinarians in hospitals and the director of zoo in the city usually pass the buck between each other and refuse to volunteer or help rescue the animal.
This leads to many people, who even with good hearts, end up abandoning their rescue attempt out of frustration.
Around mid-April, an advertising professional came across a sick horse lying down on the roadside at G V Residency. A few bystanders said the horse was commonly seen in their area and was lying down since morning. “I began calling all my contacts who had animal rescuers and forest official friends for guidance. All I wanted to do was to take the animal to the government hospital for treatment,” said Priya G.
“When animal welfare organizations refused, we called the veterinary hospital at Town Hall, which also refused stating that within corporation limits the zoo director was in charge of rescuing animals. The zoo director when called said NGOs handling sterilization of dogs have to rescue the animal,” she said.
Priya said she was ready to hire a vehicle, but nobody knew how to shift or move such a large animal off the road. “There are no animal ambulances which public can hire,” she said. After an hour, Priya left the spot giving up.
On Wednesday, Roshan Jain tried rescuing a horse with a cut leg and injury on all three legs lying on DB Road. “I contacted so many veterinarians including government veterinarians and asked them to come to the spot to treat the horse. They all refused. Many people didn’t even respond to me. An hour later, my friend Manav told me to put the horse on an autorickshaw and take it to the hospital. In the veterinary GH, the doctors refused to treat the horse till 2pm. I was so baffled by people’s behavior,” he said.