Animal rescuer to buy ‘hosp on wheels’ for strays

The biggest challenge for individual rescuers like him, he says, is that taking animals to a veterinarian in time. “Getting a vehicle to transport the injured or distressed animal itself is a challenge. When we take any available vehicle, like an autorickshaw, a two-wheeler or a car, people do not realise that it’s an emergency. Transportation expense is another hurdle, as we are charged double the normal fare citing cleaning. Even if we are ready to shell it out, many rescued animals die on the way to the hospital as we could not reach there in time. Only a dedicated ambulance will solve the problem,” says Ashwath, who claims to have rescued more than 1,000 stray animals in the last 15 years.

Though there are NGOs specifically working for the welfare of stray animals in the city, Ashwath says that only a few of them have ambulances, which are not put to use properly, and adds that it is difficult for individual rescuers like him to have access to such ambulances. The lone Amma Animal Ambulance for the city is lying idle at the government veterinary hospital, according to him.

Ashwath says that the ambulance should be equipped with a small operation theatre to carry out birth control surgeries for strays. “That is another important area where I want to concentrate since culling of dogs is rampant in suburbs due to absence of birth control measures,” he says. The vehicle should also have the equipment for a blood test and oxygen cylinders, he adds.

When the ambulance is ready, any individual rescuers like him can make use of the vehicle to rescue animals if they take responsibility for the vehicle and fuel cost. While he has already raised about Rs 1 lakh, he has been meeting animal lovers and celebrities, hoping to complete his mission soon.