Waste Warriors launches cow rescue helpline

blurb: NGO creates social media page, launches helpline

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 3

Waste Warriors, an NGO, has created a social media page and launched a helpline number for a cow and bull rescue centre opened by it at Kedarpuram here.

The NGO recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Dehradun Municipal Corporation and are on a three-month trial to run Kanji House, near Defence Colony.

The helpline number is 7895267445. The media page can be located at https://www.facebook.com/wwanimalrescue. People are being urged to save the number in their phones.

The NGO said, "Whenever possible, the person making the rescue call stays with the animal so that it can be located quickly when the ambulance arrives. An ambulance with a hydraulic lift has been made available to the NGO with the support of Animal Husbandry Minister Pritam Singh Panwar. Dr Rakesh Nautiyal, a veterinarian, will visit the rescue centre once a week and will be available on call at other times.

The MoU says cows and bulls even without injuries can also be taken to Kanji House. The owners will be fined when they come to claim their animals, as it is an offence to leave animals unattended on the streets as per the Protection of Cow Progeny Act, 1997.

Waste Warriors is at present focussing on sick and injured bovines in their first month of operations.

Waste Warriors has rescued one female and four male calves from the streets suffering from different ailments and injuries, mainly from car accidents. One of the calves under their care has locked limbs and cannot stand and was rescued from a temple in Vikas Nagar. The animal requires physio every few hours. The others have foot injury, lantarna poisoning and a ripped ear and injured tail from dog bites. One calf with a serious injury died on May 1. A healthy stray cow that was sent to Kanji House from Dharampur Mandi by a Nagar Nigam supervisor has been returned to its owner. No fine was issued as the NGO is yet to receive a letter of authorisation from the Nagar Nigam. No water is available in the living quarters, so the centre will not be fully operational until this is remedied.

Pankaj Pokhriyal has been employed to take care of the animals and People for Animals, Uttarakhand, is also assisting the NGO. The NGO is appealing for donations to run Kanji House.

Jodie Underhill, CEO, Waste Warriors, said, “We are extremely grateful to the Nagar Nigam for this opportunity and special thanks to Panwar for his valuable assistance and support. We are also grateful to the people who don’t just walk by when they see an animal in distress but do something about it instead. Cows and bulls have religious significance here in India yet many of them suffer unnecessarily. A lot is still needed to be done in this field and we are dedicated to the cause. The public can help by calling the helpline number when they see an injured bovine, volunteering or donating."

Helpline

The helpline number is 7895267445. The media page can be located at https://www.facebook.com/wwanimalrescue. People are being urged to save the number in their phones. 

Ambulance with hydraulic lift 

An ambulance with a hydraulic lift has been made available to the NGO with the support of Animal Husbandry Minister Pritam Singh Panwar. Dr Rakesh Nautiyal, a veterinarian, will visit the rescue centre once a week and will be available on call at other times. Waste Warriors has rescued one female and four male calves.