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On Dec. 26, 2004, a 9.0-magnitude earthquake on the ocean floor near Sumatra, Indonesia produced the most deadly tsunami in history and sent a massive wall of water across the Indian Ocean to Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.
The tsunami caused catastrophic loss of human and animal life, killing more than 160,000 people and leaving many thousands homeless. It also leveled hundreds of cities and towns, causing billions of dollars of damage to South Asia.
In the months following the tsunami, former Humane Society International (HSI) Asia director Sherry Grant and her team worked with locals and other other animal protection groups to provide assessment, relief, and veterinary care for the countless animal victims in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia.
- Tsunami Memorial Trust Supports Animal Welfare in Sri Lanka: June 22, 2005
- The Water's Receded, But HSI Is Still Dealing with the Tsunami's Aftermath: April 15, 2005
- HSI Team Extends Stay in Sri Lanka to Prevent Military Action Against Homeless Dogs: February 4, 2005
- HSI Veterinary Disaster Teams Work to Collar the Stray Dog Problem in Sri Lanka and Thailand: January 21, 2005
- HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant's Web Log from South Asia (Day 4): January 16, 2005
- HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant's Web Log from South Asia (Day 3): January 10, 2005
- HSI Team Tours Troubled Areas to Assess the Tsunami's Impact on the Animal Kingdom: January 7, 2005
- HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant's Web Log from South Asia (Day 2): January 6, 2005
- HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant's Web Log from South Asia (Day 1): January 4, 2005
- Asia Dispatches Team to Areas Devastated by Tsunami: January 1, 2005
June 13, 2007
New Hope in Banda Aceh as Veterinary School Is Rebuilt
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| © HSI |
| Students and faculty tour the rebuilt school. |
The day after Christmas, Dec. 26, 2004, a tsunami of unprecedented ferocity hit Indonesia and its neighbors in the Indian Ocean. A 9.0-magnitude earthquake on the ocean floor near Sumatra sent the tsunami's powerful waves across the Indian Ocean from Indonesia to Thailand to Sri Lanka and India. It destroyed everything in its path and washed the remains out to sea.
No place was the storm's impact more evident than in Banda Aceh, located in the northern region of Sumatra in Indonesia. There, the storm caused massive loss of human and animal life. It leveled the town and outlying areas; only a few buildings remained. Thick mud, wood and other rubble—averaging six feet deep—made getting around difficult. The few surviving animals were hungry, and there was no food to be found.
Counting Losses
Prior to the tsunami, the community had no local private veterinary practices. All veterinary care was provided through the provincial government service. The provincial ministry of animal health was based in Banda Aceh, and the loss of its facilities, equipment and staff (approximately one third of the staff are unaccounted for and presumed dead) in the catastrophe severely compromised the service.
Located in Banda Aceh less than a kilometer from the ocean, the University of Syiah Kuala and Teaching Farm suffered severe damage to all of its facilities and its school family. The school served as the main veterinary center and teaching facility for northern Sumatra, a region that depends heavily upon farming and livestock production.
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Communities depend on working farm animals for their livelihoods and survival. In most cases, animals are the crucial lifeblood of the community. |
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Pre-tsunami, the school boasted 75 lecturers and 571 veterinary students. Following the devastation, 10 faculty (8% of the teaching staff) and 40 students (7% of the student body) were confirmed dead or missing. Of the surviving 531 students, 151 students had to drop out after the tsunami.
In addition to the loss of human life, the tsunami either destroyed or damaged school buildings and their contents, as well as animal care facilities. Losses included the infrastructure and contents of classrooms, barns, corrals, and feed stations. The school's teaching farm (which served for practical training) suffered severe damage as well.
The loss of the veterinary school handicapped economic recovery in the region. Without healthy animals, revenue-producing activities were not possible. Companion animals that were not neutered and vaccinated were set to multiply to unmanageable populations, increasing the risk of disease for both animals and people. Teachers, veterinarians and government animal workers based at the school were no longer available to serve the community. The school had also contributed to the community's economical health through jobs, services, and products the school used from the surrounding region.
The loss of the school's veterinary students and staff would have a lasting impact for years to come.
Recovering from the Devastation
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| © HSI |
| Entering the Teaching Farm. |
The first international animal welfare organization on the ground after the tsunami, HSI immediately began efforts to assess the situation, to stabilize the welfare of the animals affected by the tsunami, and to improve their care prior to the tsunami.
HSI Executive Director, Neil Trent, explained the importance of getting a grip on the animal issues in the midst of the human loss and suffering."Throughout the affected region, communities depend on working farm animals for their livelihoods and survival. In most cases, animals are the crucial lifeblood of the community," said Trent.
Not only is it necessary to dispose of animal remains and control animal populations in order to contain the spread of diseases, but it is vital to jump-start the economies of these devastated communities—economies largely built on animal agriculture. Rebuilding the agricultural infrastructure can help a community feed its own citizens and become self-sufficient again.
Anxious to get the animal welfare infrastructure in Banda Aceh back on track after the tsunami's devastation, the HSI assessment team developed a proposal for rebuilding the Teaching Farm at the university. In addition to the rebuilding of the physical facilities and replacement of equipment, the plan included support to introduce and implement the veterinary teaching syllabus for animal welfare: Concepts in Animal Welfare.
Teaching Farm Spells Hope for the Future
In 2006, Giant Steps Foundation provided the funds for the project and joined with HSI to make this vision a reality. The team responsible for completing the task of rebuilding the school eventually consisted of HSI, Giant Steps Foundation, World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) and a local animal welfare group, Yayasan Yudisthira Swarga (The Bali Street Dog Foundation).
Using a local contractor and workers, construction began in August 2006. The transformation unfolded over the next eight months, and construction was completed in April 2007.
On May 3, HSI hosted a celebration at the new facility. HSI Executive Director Neil Trent and HSI Asia's Sherry Grant attended. Representatives from WSPA and Yayasan Yudisthira Swarga were also present, along with members of the local government and the University of Syiah Kuala. As part of the ceremony, the Teaching Farm was formally turned over to the university dean.
The farm will be an effective teaching unit, emphasizing animal welfare practices and the proper care of agricultural animals. The completion of the Teaching Farm is a major step in the recovery of the animal welfare system in the region as well as the economy and hope of the Banda Aceh people.
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January 13, 2006
A Year After the Tsunami, Disaster Responders Discover a Sea Change in Attitudes Toward Animals
No one would blame Sherry Grant if she viewed 2005 as one long disaster. After all, the HSI Asia director began last year touring Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia in the wake of the tsunami that literally flattened entire neighborhoods where the massive wall of water came ashore on December 26, 2004. Later in the year, with her work in the tsunami-affected areas far from over, she would have to make trips to India and Pakistan to help the animal and human victims of the floods and earthquake that devastated those countries.
And yet, more than a year after the tsunami, Grant sees signs of hope in the affected areas, even in places where things are still far from normal. She sees not only new attitudes toward animal welfare, but also new cooperation between governments and disaster animal responders. Like Americans in the Gulf Coast came to understand after Katrina struck, people in South Asia have begun to realize that disaster responders must address animal issues if they expect to make a full recovery.
Where It All Started
More than 200,000 people lost their lives in the tsunami. Those left behind found their homes, their families, and their lives destroyed. Thousands of stray dogs along the coastal towns of Sri Lanka also survived the tsunami, but the animals caused more worry among the human survivors, who feared the spread of rabies. Not only did many survivors bring their pet dogs to refugee camps, but countless strays came out of hiding to discover their homes destroyed and their families gone. News reports indicated that the hungry dogs were eating contaminated corpses and spreading rabies, though few actual rabies cases appeared to be cataloged.
But in response to the fears, the Sri Lankan military was prepared to control the stray dog population through mass killings.
In an effort to prevent this from happening, HSI, working with The HSUS's Rural Area Veterinary Services and The HSUS's Emergency Services Animal Rescue Teams as well as with local animal welfare organizations, implemented widespread vaccination and sterilization programs, which helped convince the Sri Lankan government to hold off on the mass canine killings.
"A lot of what I've learned is being able to decipher what the immediate needs are and how to act on them," reflects Grant. And what Grant realized about Sri Lanka and its stray dog population was this: vaccinating those animals for rabies or culling them would only putting a Band-Aid on a much larger problem. As long as there were unsterilized dogs, she understood, they would keep breeding. And trying to keep the stray dog population from exploding would be a losing battle.
What a Difference a Year Makes
By February 2005, Grant and local animal organizations working with HSI had convinced the government to put a halt to the culling plan for good. What's more, as teams of vets and relief workers moved from town to town, vaccinating and sterilizing dogs as they went, the locals liked what they saw.
"They became much more open to animal welfare efforts and organizations," reports Grant. "Pretty soon, they were taking us to find more dogs that needed help. It really was a first step to changing their attitudes toward animal control. These vet teams in Sri Lanka are spreading the concept of rabies vaccination and sterilization of dogs in a scientific manner, community by community."
In addition to the capacity building, HSI and its partners have also been able to create a lasting legacy.
The Tsunami Memorial Animal Welfare Trust was created to provide ongoing relief for animals in the tsunami-affected areas. The trust's field clinics continue to capture, spay or neuter, vaccinate, and release stray animals.
As the rebuilding continues in Sri Lanka, a slow process according to Grant, the trust's teams continue to make steady strides for animals right alongside. Take, for example, the small fishing village of Karinda, where European NGOs built 200 homes for refugees. Before the homes were finished, the trust's teams had fulfilled their goal of sterilizing and vaccinating 85% of the dogs in the area, giving the town's human and animal residents a fresh start.
The trust's work continues today, as teams continue to move from community to community, sterilizing and vaccinating about 35 dogs a day.
Out of the Ashes
One of the trust's most important legacies is the relationship it has nurtured between all of the vets and welfare organizations involved in the relief.
"Since the tsunami," says Grant, "with one call I can mobilize vets from all over Asia to help. We've really managed to build a network of disaster responders in veterinary and government capacities."
When cyclones brought torrential rains to the southern coasts of India in autumn 2005, it was a team of Sri Lankan vets and animal handlers, supported by the trust, that was able to respond and assist an Indian SPCA, whose facilities were destroyed by flooding.
At present, HSI is working with the government of Ahmebadad and with an Indian NGO to sterilize 45,000 dogs in the next year, Grant notes. "What started off in Sri Lanka has spread to India," she says.
Personal Reflections
When 2005 drew to a close, Grant faced a new year of disaster response. As she prepared to return to Pakistan and continue assisting the earthquake's animal refugees, she reflected on all of the devastation and, on the flip side, the hope she had seen over the last year.
"I've never experienced anything like this in my life," she says of the tsunami. "For human life, for animal life—it was just so catastrophic. It made everything I ever thought was huge in my life seem so small. The resilience of the people starting to rebuild has been amazing."
And when she had just begun to recover from the relentless pace of the tsunami relief work, the rains came down on India and the ground shook in Pakistan.
"It was too much to take in all at once," she wrote in her online journal.
But with the support of HSI and the Tsunami Memorial Animal Welfare Trust, Grant can draw strength and help more animals and the people they share their lives with.
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June 22, 2005
Tsunami Memorial Trust Supports Animal Welfare in Sri Lanka
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| Sri Lankan puppy gets vaccinated © Bob Blumberg |
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In the months since the most deadly tsunami in history hit the coasts of South Asia, killing more than 160,000 people and leaving many others homeless, some disaster relief organizations have come and gone. But Humane Society International and other animal welfare workers continue to provide relief and veterinary care to the many animals displaced by the tsunami.
Toward the end, HSI has worked in conjunction with other international organizations to establish the Tsunami Memorial Animal Welfare Trust. The goal of the trust is to ensure ongoing animal protection work in Sri Lanka. Joining HSI in the effort is World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), Vier Pfoten, and independent animal advocates Bob Blumberg and Anusha David. HSI and WSPA donated seed money to begin the trust, while Blumberg and David have provided hands-on and administrative support.
The trust's mission is to provide, free of charge, recovery relief for animals affected by the tsunami as well as the communities where they live. Focusing on locations where there is no veterinary service, the trust will fund a field clinic to capture, spay or neuter, vaccinate, and release free-roaming animals to prevent pet overpopulation and keep Sri Lankans safe from rabies. In addition, pet owners are encouraged to bring in their own animals for sterilization and vaccinations, and many of them do.
"The team includes staff who work to notify and educate the local community about what is going on, assure them that the dogs are being well cared for, and ensure community dogs are returned to the same spot," explains Blumberg.
Even months after the tsunami struck on December 26, 2004, the trust's work is still necessary in remote areas of Sri Lanka, where community dogs have faced threats of culling due to the fear of rabies.
From Waves of Destruction to Waves of Support
Though most of Sri Lanka's dogs—many of them community dogs owned by no one but cared for by many—escaped the tsunami's onslaught, they suddenly found everything they knew was gone. The tsunami washed away familiar homes and businesses where they could find a place to sleep or scrounge up some food. With nowhere to hide, the dogs became extremely visible, which made local officials nervous about the spread of rabies.
That's where HSI stepped in. With the help of The HSUS's Rural Area Veterinary Services, HSI set up spay/neuter/vaccination field clinics to prevent overpopulation and reduce the threat of rabies. However, "it became clear that if the teams were to leave, the population would increase and the culling would start," explains HSI Executive Director Neil Trent. To create lasting improvements for Sri Lanka's dogs, it was necessary to involve local veterinarians and come up with a long-term strategy.
There were few vets in the area, and most veterinarians from nearby Colombo were reluctant to set up field clinics in rural locales. Eventually, veterinarians from Pets V Care, a Sri Lankan animal hospital based in Colombo, signed on for the job. HSI and RAVS trained Pets V Care in the protocols of field clinic work, and Pets V Care agreed to carry on the field work on a long-term basis, with funding from the trust.
Slowly but surely, the HSI field team, including HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant and HSI consultant Dawn Peacock, transitioned the hands-on field clinic responsibilities to Pets V Care. Peacock stayed on with the Pets V Care team to ease the transition, while Grant returns often to oversee operations.
The Tsunami Memorial Animal Welfare Trust-Pets V Care team consists of eight people, including an international volunteer and a Yudisthira volunteer, and is currently operating in Panadora on the southern coast of Sri Lanka. Peacock notes that although they operate from field clinics, the teams maintain high standards, similar to those expected in a hospital situation. The materials and surgery protocols used are tailored to encourage fast recovery and maximize the dogs' overall welfare.
There are hopes that allowing for a "working holiday vet," may open opportunities for idea exchange and the possibility of a learning exchange for local vets. International support and guidance will remain a key aspect of the program and will enhance the professional development of team members.
"The work is not over," says Grant. "We hope to leave a foundation here that will continue to work in the hardest hit areas to support the communities' wish to keep dogs and have them safe and in optimum health."
The team plans to move its free clinic along the coast of Sri Lanka. With continued support from the Tsunami Memorial Animal Welfare Trust, HSI hopes the team will eventually be able to offer services to low income villages in all of Sri Lanka.
"These programs will not only improve conditions for animals, they will also improve the quality of life for the community, by reducing the number of dog bites and incidences of rabies," says Trent. "The programs will also assure the people of Sri Lanka that their community dogs will not be forgotten."
If you wish to support the Disaster Relief Team and ongoing programs like the Tsunami Memorial Animal Welfare Trust, please donate to Humane Society International.
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April 15, 2005
The Water's Receded, But HSI Is Still Dealing with the Tsunami's Aftermath
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| HSI's Sherry Grant and her team work in the field to help animal victims of disaster. © The HSUS |
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By Stephanie Edwards
"My husband always says, the tsunami came in and with it, it took Sherry."
HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant spoke these words to a hushed audience at the 2005 Animal Care Expo, which was held in early April in Atlanta. That fact Grant could stand and articulate these words meant that she didn't mean them literally; she was not swept up in the December 26 tsunami that killed more than 160,000 people and caused billions of dollars in damage in Southeast Asia.
But Grant and her team have been working in the field since early January, providing assessment, relief, and veterinary care for the animals in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. Working with locals and other animal protection groups, Grant and the Humane Society International team have brought veterinary care to some of these areas for the first time, particularly in Sri Lanka, where their groundbreaking efforts continue to ward off threats of dog culling.
Grant took a break from her field work to share her story at Expo, as well as talk to Animal Planet, which will broadcast her interview as part of Tsunami: Animal Instincts, a documentary set to air on April 23. The show will be dedicated to animal disaster efforts, and it features a segment on Humane Society International's disaster team.
"The biggest challenge was the living conditions and making sure the team was taken care of so they could...take care of animals in need. We were nine hours from all conveniences and medical supplies. It was like managing a self-contained military operation." Grant said. "If you missed something, you simply had to do without."
An Ever-Shifting Landscape in Sri Lanka
The HSI team members, which aside from Grant include veterinarians from The HSUS's Rural Area Veterinary Program and rescue specialists from The HSUS's Emergency Services Animal Rescue Teams, have spent weeks in Sri Lanka since the Indian Ocean tsunami struck, not only vaccinating and sterilizing hundreds of animals but also warding off a threat to control the homeless dog population (and its threat of rabies) with lethal methods. In the process, the team has converted many on the island nation to the humane treatment of domestic animals, even those animals who might pose a threat.
But an unexpected thing has happened on the way to winning over the hearts and minds of Sri Lankans: More dogs have come out of hiding.
In March, the public once again became nervous about the homeless pooches, many of them stray or abandoned dogs who have taken to fighting. Some residents were calling for a cull of the animals again, particularly since the spring breeding season could increase the homeless dog population.
That's the principal reason why HSI has decided to keep a presence in eastern Sri Lanka for the time being. Team members will continue to focus not only on rabies prevention, sterilization, and public education, but also on their efforts to work with local officials and veterinarians. The goal is to develop long-term vaccination and spay/neuter programs that will carry on HSI's efforts well into the future.
"For these methods to be truly effective, there needs to be continued program work and support from the local government and its people," says Neil Trent, executive director of Humane Society International. "Our goal is to create long-term vaccination and spay/neuter programs that the locals will continue after we've left the area."
And just as important, HSI's team is part of a coalition of local and international non-governmental organizations, veterinarians, and government officials who are coming together to discuss changes to Sri Lanka's 1907 animal protection laws.
In Close Quarters
On the eastern coast, the hardest hit area of Sri Lanka, around a half million people have been displaced. Many families have been forced to live together in refugee camps, along with their animals, mostly dogs. This situation has created a rather unnatural population of canines concentrated in one area. To make matters more complicated, many dogs previously in hiding have begun to appear in the camps after they discovered their former homes were nothing but rubble.
The dogs, hungry and lost, have begun to fight, the males often fighting over the females. This, understandably, has made refugee camp residents nervous, and some again have called for a culling program.
The idea of killing dogs in post-tsunami Sri Lanka is not new. The military and locals first threatened to cull the homeless canines after an infected dog was discovered on the island in the weeks after the tsunami. But groups such as the Yudisthira Foundation, with HSI's support, immediately began raising money for a spay/neuter and vaccination program for the refugee camps in Arugam Bay, Romari, and Tirrukkovil. These eastern areas, though hardest hit, have received relatively little support from humanitarian and governmental agencies. The Yudisthira field clinic, along with Sri Lankan and international veterinarians, have worked to stabilize the dog population and to appeal to the government for humane population management.
The new influx of dogs has now threatened to upset the delicate peace between eastern Sri Lankans and their growing population of homeless canines. To add even more urgency to the situation, many of the female dogs will soon come into season, meaning a possible explosion of puppies. If all of these females are not spayed in time, this will mean a huge increase in the dog population in the camps.
International relief teams, including HSI's, are working overtime to combat these twin threats. Field clinic veterinarians report that at just one refugee camp, 45 females have been sterilized. Field vets hope that they are able to prevent this increased overpopulation in time. So far HSI has sterilized around 1,600 dogs, but many have yet to be reached.
A Keen Interest in Animal Care
During her Expo presentation, Grant noted that while many Sri Lankans fear catching rabies from dogs, they also have a clear affection for the animals. "People involved in disasters care very much about their animals," Grant explained. "These animals are, in some cases, the only link to economic recovery and most certainly provide comfort." For some people, Grant added, their animals, whether companion or farm animal, were all they had left.
In Arragum Bay, people had never seen veterinary care, and they were very interested in it, even though they may not have access to medical care themselves, Grant said. Children got in on the action, too. Many of them were so excited about bringing a dog to the animal doctor, they would round up puppies, their own or any nearby, and bring them to the veterinarians.
The community's interest in veterinary care allowed the HSI team to address issues of basic animal care, such as the need to feed and water animals as well as the importance of vaccinating, spaying, and neutering.
What's more, Grant said that on the western side of the island, in Colombo, both the government and the people took a keen interest in veterinary care and humane methods of animal control. When Colombo's mayor, Prasanna Gunawardena, asked to see what the team members were up to, they set up a temporary field clinic in his front yard. The mayor witnessed a full day of vaccinations and sterilizations of community animals. Gunawardena was so impressed by the hard work, he asked for training for the municipality and minister of health on how to create an infrastructure of humane animal control and how to create effective spay/neuter programs.
Moving Forward
The Colombo mayor wasn't the only one interested in modern animal welfare. Before the tsunami hit, Sri Lankans were in the developmental stages of updating their 1907 animal welfare law, a task they had been pondering for some time. But because of the recent public interest in humane control of animals, supporters of the legislation recently moved one step closer to making these changes a reality.
In early March, the Law Commission of Sri Lanka hosted a workshop to review draft legislation; government officials, veterinarians, lawyers, and NGOs—HSI included—joined together to discuss the improvements needed for an effective animal welfare law in Sri Lanka.
As Sri Lanka looks to the future of animal welfare within its borders, so does HSI. Members of the HSI disaster relief team have already laid the groundwork for long-term animal care in the country, and improvements to the law will certainly help reinforce those efforts, HSI's Trent noted. But it will take more than a law to improve conditions for animals in Sri Lanka. It will take enforcement of the law as well as implementation of more humane programs, Trent said.
So far, the locals and other organizations have been eager to work with the international community to help animals. Locals have organized a group called the Tsunami Animal-People Coalition. This group, along with many local veterinarians, appealed to the international animal welfare community for humane solutions to the threat of rabies. The group has already launched an aggressive rabies vaccination campaign, and has been encouraged by experts to continue these programs and to move ahead with spay and neuter programs.
"The teamwork between animal welfare groups, and with the local people, has so far brought about an increased level of protection for Sri Lankan animals," Trent said. "But the fight is not over yet. We hope that our programs will continue to support these improvements, and work toward the increased overall conditions for stray dogs in Sri Lanka."
Stephanie Edwards is the program assistant and web content manager for Humane Society International.
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February 4, 2005
HSI Team Extends Stay in Sri Lanka to Prevent Military Action Against Homeless Dogs
In temperatures that often top 100°F, with supplies so limited that teams have to endure a half day's labor without water, Humane Society International disaster relief workers in Sri Lanka are nonetheless forging ahead with an innovative program to spay, neuter, and vaccinate animals in the areas affected by the December 26 tsunami.
You could say the workers are, in a sense, operating at gunpoint.
In Arugam Bay, where the predominantly Muslim community has conflicting feelings about dogs (the Koran doesn't explicitly call them unclean animals, but neither does it embrace them), the Sri Lankan military has said that it is poised to launch an eradication campaign against thousands of homeless canines if there is a single outbreak of rabies. HSI disaster veterinary disaster teams are specifically there to ward off that threat, and HSI executives have already agreed to extend the teams' stays in Sri Lanka for an undetermined period.
Now in its four week, the vaccination/sterilization program is still the main weapon being aimed at curbing an outbreak of rabies in a country already ravaged by death and destruction. Led by Dr. Eric Davis, director of The HSUS's Rural Area Veterinary Services, the Sri Lanka team completed its first round of surgeries and vaccinations in the nation's Western province, holding clinics in the towns of Kalutare and Moratuwa, south of the capital, Colombo. These are areas where a large number of stray dogs have fled, each looking for a handout from people whose economy has taken a sharp dip.
Along with Lloyd Brown, a member of The HSUS's Emergency Services Animal Rescue Teams, Davis has been working with a local group, KACPAW, as part of a multinational, multi-organizational effort to vaccinate dogs in Sri Lanka, both in the western province and in Arugam Bay in the eastern part of the country. Their mandate is clear: Bring the homeless dog population under control or the army will launch into lethal action. The only reason the military hasn't already started feeding poison to dogs in Arugam Bay, says HSI Executive Director Neil Trent, is because HSI gave army officials written confirmation that we would launch a sterilization and rabies program in the area.
The Importance of International Cooperation
Davis has shared the operating tables not only with veterinarians Rai Arniasih and Komang Sudiati of Bali Street Dogs Foundation from Indonesia, but also with volunteer vets from Pet V Care, a Sri Lankan organization. Together, they have sterilized several hundred dogs and some cats, mostly in the eastern area. Their work so impressed a man from the Western region, who had brought his two dogs to be sterilized, that he volunteered to work with the team at the clinic at Aragum Bay.
The work with the Pet V Care veterinarians is, in particular, critical to the long-term success of these dogs in Sri Lanka, a country that has not had many qualms with killing canines when the animals proved to be inconvenient. "We feel that it is essential to integrate the local vets into our program," said Sudiati of Bali Street Dogs. "Otherwise, who will carry on the work once we are gone?"
The question is valid in this country of nearly 20 million people, many of whom are still trying to piece their lives back together after the devastating tsunami. If some of these residents had ill feelings toward dogs before the disaster, those feelings have only intensified after the tsunami. But part of HSI's goal, notes Trent, has not only been to save the dogs, but also to educate the community about safer, more effective, and more humane approaches to dog population management.
To that end, Sherry Grant, director of HSI's Asia office, has been meeting with Sri Lankan officials about the benefits of spay/neuter and vaccination campaigns vs. out-and-out eradication programs. As she has told everyone who will listen in Sri Lanka, killing campaigns never succeed because they never catch all the dogs, who immediately flee at the first sign of danger. This only causes dogs to populate other areas, where they continue to breed and pose dangers.
By contrast, vaccinating dogs will prevent the spread of rabies, while sterilizing the animals will prevent them from breeding. "Sterilizing animals also makes them better companions, quieter and less aggressive," says Trent. "And, of course, the best part is that the dogs are spared a completely unnecessary death."
View from the Bay
For the foreseeable future, the HSI team will remain based in Arugam Bay, a small beach-side town 300 kilometers east of Colombo. Dave Pauli, director of The HSUS's Northern Rockies Regional Office, and Susan Monger, a veterinarian with RAVS, recently replaced Davis at the field clinic in Arugam Bay, which is currently handling an average of 40 dogs a day. Brown will stay on to help with animal captures.
This is a community quite pleased to see the HSI team in action. Arugam Bay, after all, relies heavily on tourism, mostly surfers from around the world who ride the region's legendary breaks. Shop owners and hotel workers in the area have been thankful to receive HSI's assistance, in hopes to recover their devastated tourism industry. Many have commented on the effect that an uncontrolled dog population can have on tourism. "The dogs sometimes swarm the area, fighting or copulating. That is not a good environment for tourists," said the manager of the once pristine Tri Star Hotel.
The HSI team has been working hard to calm both nervous residents and hungry, agitated dogs. But their work hasn't been easy. Arugam Bay has been cut off from the Sri Lankan mainland ever since the tsunami wiped out the main bridge; with the assistance of the Canadian army, the team has been able to ferry in regular provisions and materials, including all-important water and medicines.
Their collective efforts are clearly visible to citizens and officials alike: Every vaccinated and sterilized dog gets a red collar. And every red collar is one less reason for the military to step in and begin rounding up the pooches.
But Trent warns not to take anything for granted. "It's important to remember that, despite our best efforts, there are no guarantees here," he says. "When we all leave, we have no guarantee that these dogs will be spared."
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January 21, 2005
HSI Veterinary Disaster Teams Work to Collar the Stray Dog Problem in Sri Lanka and Thailand
The story on January 16 in the Los Angeles Times was a wake-up call for humane relief workers in Sri Lanka. The newspaper reported that government officials had planned to start killing stray dogs in the Ampara province—a heavily hit eastern region where hundreds of canines roam free, searching for food and shelter—in an attempt to curb a rabies outbreak in a country already ravaged by death and destruction.
The story was truly news to humane relief teams already on the ground in Sri Lanka, including one sponsored by Humane Society International. Once word of the program reached them, however, members of an animal welfare coalition quickly intervened and convinced the central government to call off the eradication program, which officials had threatened to implement in other regions in Sri Lanka. It's not known exactly how many people in Sri Lanka have contracted rabies, but the LA Times noted one person in the Ampara province was diagnosed with the deadly virus.
While the dogs may be out of immediate danger, the threat is far from over; as the Sri Lankan government noted this week, it has no control over small villages, which may opt for culling programs on their own. Plus, the central government was quick to point out, its main concern is the citizens, not the dogs. Any hint of a rabies outbreak could cause the government to reconsider the eradication program.
But even as the story spread among concerned animal lovers, Humane Society International's veterinary disaster team was in flight, on its way to Sri Lanka to begin a vaccination and sterilization program in the affected areas. The team, led by Dr. Eric Davis, director of The HSUS's Rural Area Veterinary Services, began work on Thursday, January 20, and will stay in Sri Lanka for two weeks. Davis and Lloyd Brown, a member of The HSUS's Emergency Services Disaster Animal Rescue Teams, immediately started collaborating with a local group, KACPAW, which is part of a multinational, multi-organizational effort to vaccinate dogs in Sri Lanka. They estimate that they've vaccinated more than 4,000 canines to date.
"As there are an estimated 100,000 dogs in the devastated areas, we are in a race against time," says Neil Trent, executive director of HSI. "The HSI team, as well as those of several others animal organizations on the ground, will work feverishly to prevent an outbreak of rabies, and, in turn, to prevent the government from reinstating their plans to kill animals."
Most of these dogs have congregated not only along the eastern coastal areas, such as Ampara province, but also along the southern tip of the island; the animals gather wherever humans are—since people are their primary food source—and humans are found mostly in refugee camps in these two areas. Despite vast influxes of international humanitarian aid, many of these refugee camps still don't have enough food for the people, let alone the dogs, so it's the latter species that suffers.
But as dogs grow hungrier, some grow more aggressive, striking out at people. While this predominantly Buddhist country will tolerate most behaviors, it apparently has drawn the line at aggressive dogs who could spread a deadly virus in a nation poorly equipped to deal with an outbreak.
"The Sri Lankan government is first and foremost concerned for the welfare of its people," Trent says. "Although there is a dog feeding program in place, inevitably some dogs are still hungry and desperate, and are displaying aggressive behavior towards people. As rabies is present in Sri Lanka, the government is anxious to prevent an epidemic from occurring. The Sri Lankan government would prefer not to begin a 'killing' program. They do realize that our program is the best long-term solution."
Dogs Everywhere
Sri Lanka is not the only government in South Asia to wrestle with a stray dog problem. India, Thailand, and Indonesia have similar issues, and each country appears to have its own solution. Stray dogs in India's southern Tamil Nadu state, for example, have reportedly been rounded up and killed. In Thailand, foreign veterinary teams have been allowed to set up clinics and vaccinate and/or sterilize a homeless dog population estimated to be around 17,000, but like in Sri Lanka, Thai officials may resort to killing dogs.
HSI's veterinary disaster team has been on the ground in Phuket, Thailand since Tuesday, January 18, about a week after HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant toured and assessed the homeless dog problem in the area; the team includes Dr. Leo Egar, leader of RAVS' Native Nation clinics, as well as Consie Von Gontard from RAVS and Melissa Forberg, team leader of the National DART who played a central role in The HSUS's hurricane relief efforts in Florida. The team is working with Dr. Rai Arniasih and veterinary technician Nana Prayoga from the HSI-sponsored Bali Street Dogs Foundation. Once in Thailand, they started working with Soi Dog Foundation in Phuket to vaccinate and sterilize animals in the area.
In fact, the efforts in Phuket have been so successful, our team is moving into the northern reaches of Thailand, where the tsunami did even greater damage. On Wednesday, the team traveled about 120 kilometers north to a small fishing village in Khao Lak, where locals had earlier this month rescued a stranded dolphin. The widespread devastation in the area has left an abundance of orphaned dogs who wander through the rubble and scavenge for food.
Our disaster team is working to reintroduce veterinary services in Khao Lak as well as start a spay/neuter program in the area. The latter is important because, as HSI's Trent says, "sterilizations keep dog populations down, and when our teams ultimately leave this area, we don't want dogs producing more litters and creating more fear among government officials who may resort to killing off the animals. The sterilizations not only keep populations low, but they also make the dogs more docile and more friendly to people, which is a plus right now."
A pilot spay/neuter program was launched a few days earlier than HSI's, and it sterilized about 50 dogs in one day. For the next week or so, the HSI team plans to perform as many surgeries a day; the team also plans to treat mange and other canine skin conditions. This is an equally serious problem, Trent says, because "mange is a zoonotic disease that's called scabies when seen in humans. An outbreak of mange could be a death sentence for these dogs, too."
The Scene in Indonesia
In the meantime, HSI Asia's Grant met with officials from the Ministry of Agriculture in Jakarta, Indonesia on ways HSI can help rebuild the veterinary infrastructure that was wiped out from the tsunami. The discussions were preliminary, but HSI may provide financial support to purchase medications and/or equipment; humanitarian aid will likely help rebuild the veterinary structures that were flattened in the Aceh province.
During her time in Indonesia, Grant visited the Aceh province to assess the animal issues there. She discovered there were no animal problems there, because there was nothing left in Aceh.
For more information about Grant's assessment and aid trip to Indonesia, read the joint field reports compiled by HSI and World Society for the Protection of Animals.
Joint field report: January 10 (PDF)
Joint field report: January 11 (PDF)
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January 16, 2005
HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant's Web Log from South Asia (Day 4)
Aceh, Indonesia—I am sitting in the Aceh airport, and the plane is five hours late. The lobby is full of aid workers. The mood is somber. It is hard to describe exactly what I feel, not because I am numb or tired, but rather because I can't find the word to describe how I feel—distressed, horrified, humbled, and very, very sad. On the other hand, I am amazed at the Indonesians who have survived this terrible catastrophe, and are already showing signs of taking the first step toward recovery.
I am sitting across from a beautiful little boy, not much older than seven. He is licking a lollipop, swinging his legs back and forth like children do. Both of his legs have been amputated at the calf, and his little stumps are wrapped with bandages stained with blood. He is with very old grandparents whose pain is etched on their faces. I can only assume that this little boy is their only remaining family, and they are taking him back to Jakarta. My heart breaks.
In the wake of Phuket and Sri Lanka, I thought I was prepared for Aceh. In retrospect I am grateful that I arranged my schedule to visit the other countries first, so I could emotionally experience and appreciate the magnitude of each disaster as it got progressively worse. Had I visited Aceh first, I would not have fully appreciated the impact in the other countries, which are equally as horrifying. However, what I saw and experienced in Banda Aceh is a modern day holocaust.
There are bodies everywhere—on the side of the road and buried in the ruble. There are babies, children, men and women—all stripped of their clothing by the force of the wave—still waiting for someone to give them a proper burial. Meanwhile, the cleanup work goes on. The roads are cleared, and the debris is removed. These were once bustling neighborhoods full of children playing, men having coffee in food stalls, and women going to market while traffic swerved around them. It is eerie.
It is eerie to walk down the road doing the job I was sent here to do—to assess the immediate animal welfare needs and assist the farm and companion animals so that the community can start rebuilding. The sad truth is, the people, their animals and their possessions are all gone.
No Shades of Gray
Everything here is either dead or alive—destroyed or normal. The contrasts abound, and there is nothing in between. There is no second chance or even hope to hang on to. Entire families are gone. The streets are littered with what used to be life. Everywhere you look there is wet soggy garbage.
The destroyed areas resemble a land-fill dump—automobiles, furniture, toys, clothes, shoes, and appliances all mixed with the putrid stench of human life decaying beneath debris stacked as high as three meters. Pictures of families proudly posing for weddings, birthdays, and with newborn babies stare out through the rubble. They are the only reminders that people once lived here.
No Discrimination Either
We arrive in the district of Kacamata Meuraxa, where only a few homes still stand in what was once a wealthy community. Dr. Wahyu points out one of the few remaining buildings, a large green house. Completely unexpected, he tells us that the structure is his father-in-law's home. Adi, our driver and volunteer, points across the street to a mango tree standing alone in an area flattened as far as the eye can see. He tells us that the tree is the only way he can tell where his house once stood. The tree used to be in his backyard. He has lost his entire family: mother, brothers, sisters, and other relatives. He is grateful that he still has his wife and daughter and, literally, the clothes on his back. We are speechless.
Wahyu asks if we would like to see where he buried his mother-in-law. He wants to pay his respects and to confirm that the body is really there—and that the whole scene was not just some nightmare. We follow him to where, a few days before, he found her body in the rubble. There was no place to bury her, but since the Muslim religion requires the dead be buried within 24 hours, he placed her in a shallow grave. Now he is worried that dogs may dig the body up. She rests next to a pool of contaminated water, which used to be her backyard. Her grave is a simple mound of mud with two pieces of scrap wood for markers.
Wahyu sobs. I cry. Another worker, Ray, has to take a long walk, and a fourth comforts Wahyu. We delay our work to clear our minds and let Wahyu find the best way to find closure. He returns to the house—it is no longer surreal, it is now his new reality, a fork in the road of his life. He comes back with photos of birthdays and weddings, and can only say "so many memories I have had here."
There is no discrimination between rich and poor, the have and the have-nots. They all came to rest side by side twisted in a pile which was once a community.
Indelible Images
There are some scenes I have witnessed in Aceh that I shall never forget. Among them:
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The 12,000-ton power plant ship that had been moved four kilometers inland. As I looked at the cleared path snaking its way through a destroyed neighborhood, I tried to imagine the force of the 50-foot wave that drove this ship inland. The ship just missed a Mosque as it relentlessly plowed onshore destroying everything in its path. Now it sits incongruously in the middle of a neighborhood like an elephant in the living room.
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The mosques still stand. It is a curious contemplation that we all come back to time and again: That amongst all the death and destruction that leveled hundreds of years of Indonesian history, almost all of the mosques still stand. Mostly unscathed or sustaining only minor damage, the mosques attract refugees seeking safety, shelter, food, and temporary comfort. A mosque on the beach stands alone, undamaged, where there once was a pier with boats and a bustling waterfront community.
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The teaching school and the student. We came to a teaching school which seemed to be a safe haven for the dogs who probably lived there prior to the tsunami. The pooches were in good condition, and I pictured them eating scraps from the lunches of students who would one day teach in this community. While we counted the dogs and assessed their condition, we peeked in a classroom door where students were sitting when the wave came. Desks were tossed around and the lesson remained on the chalk board. Books, writing tablets, shoes, and book bags littered the school yard. I tried to imagine what these young adults were feeling the moment the water came rushing in. I found my answer under a grass mat among the rubble. The face of a dead young woman, probably a student, stared up at me. Her face was twisted in fear and her mouth was wide open as if screaming for help.
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The clear line of demarcation. There is no transition in Banda Aceh. The tsunami damage ends catastrophically but neatly on one street. Banda Aceh is a wasteland to a certain point, with boats parked in the front yard of a house or in front of the Medan Hotel—and then on the next street, everything is normal, like a line has been drawn.
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The fish out of water. In the backyard of a typical home, a single fish came to rest six kilometers from the sea.
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The diary of a man named Raz who was in love with Tia. In a poem written on June 1, 1991, he talked of love, taking risks in life, and being willing to suffer the consequences.
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A stuffed doll holding a little pillow. Written on the pillow: good night.
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January 10, 2005
HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant's Web Log from South Asia (Day 3)
Colombo, Sri Lanka—Dr. Putu Listrianai Wistawan and I arrived in Colombo, Sri Lanka at 2 a.m. and then took a one-hour drive to the hotel. I wrote my journal and climbed into bed about 5 a.m. My body clock was way off—too many time zones in too few days. Dr. Listriani and I have been moving fast and sleep when we either fall down or are traveling in cars.
When we awoke after a few fitful hours of sleep, we spent the morning on the telephone coordinating with Dr. Wayan Mudiarta who was heading the Aceh advance team. Dr. Wayan, a veterinarian with the Bali Street Dog Foundation, was getting supplied and outfitted in Medan, just southwest of Aceh, before moving onto the hard-hit province. He was trying to rent a four-wheel drive vehicle, but discovered all goods were in short supply. He finally found a vehicle, but couldn't get it insured to travel to Banda Aceh, which is still considered a war zone. We had no choice. We had to go without any insurance and hope that it didn't get wreaked or hijacked by GAM rebels in the region.
After sorting out other last-minute details, we wished Dr. Wayan good luck with a promise to see him in Aceh in 36 hours. Fortunately, we would be flying into Banda Aceh and thus avoid the treacherous 12-hour drive from Medan. Several aid trucks have already been hijacked by rebels.
At 1:30 p.m., we met with Bob Blumberg, Anusia David (a one woman show in Sri Lanka animal welfare), Dr. Sumith, director for the National Livestock Board Sri Lanka and director of the Pets V Care animal hospital. We had lost a day in Phuket, Thailand dealing with the dolphin rescue, so we had to shorten the schedule (but not the agenda items) on this end. This wasn't a problem for Bob and Anusia who were more than up for the challenge.
Our first stop was Payagala, about one hour south of Colombo. This use to be a fishing village before it was wiped out by the tsunami. We wanted to look at several issues:
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The relationship between the displaced families and the dogs. Some recent reports about stray and starving dogs attacking survivors in southern India has put a scare in us all.
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The possibility of developing programs for emergency care and rabies vaccination, all dispensed from a central location.
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The possibility of developing a treat-and-release field program for animals.
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The impact the tsunami has had on livestock and farm animals.
HSI generally prefers working with established animal welfare groups. In this case it was Pet V Care, which has 14 veterinarians and four mobile units working on the relief effort. We departed at 2 p.m. for a one-hour drive south along the coast to Payagala.
Once there, we met with the chief investigator with the local police and explained our mission. He was very accommodating and understood immediately the link between the people and their animals. He said they needed help and assigned us an officer to take us through the village, and thanked us for caring enough about the families who had lost everything, including their pets and farm animals.
Payagala is a sleepy little village with small concrete block homes set among thick green foliage and palm trees. It certainly didn't look like it was one of the hardest-hit areas. That is, until we turned off the main road and onto a dirt track towards the beach. Our time in Phuket, Thailand did not prepare me for what lay ahead. The homes were piles of rubble.
Whereas in Phuket, the destruction was mostly to businesses, hotels, and restaurants, the devastation here had a personal face to it. The villagers were doing the best they could to sort through the rubble without any help or heavy equipment. Piles of what couldn't be salvaged were beginning to take shape. Personal belongings, bricks, wood, twisted metal, and clothing were being sorted with the hope of salvaging anything that might be useful in the rebuilding their lives. Dogs were sniffing and searching, circling the ruins which once were their homes. Cats sat among the rubble, obviously missing the high posts that they once perched on.
This fishing village used to rest between the main road and the beach. Now, the only distinctive feature left is the twisted railroad tracks and ties that bisect the community. The heavy iron tracks were bent and misshapen seemingly as easy as warm taffy, a testament to the force of the tsunami. Walking through what remained of the village, we were in awe of the destruction. I noticed a small play tea set, children's sandals, and family pictures torn from frames—signs of life forever part of history now.
And in the middle of all this sat forlorn and confused dogs and cats.
Our next stop was to a makeshift refuge camp filled with women, older men, and children. The children were restless and without toys. Dr. Listriani had thoughtfully brought along some animal puppets used by the Bali Street Dog Foundation in its animal awareness school programs (sponsored by WSPA). The kids went wild. We thought we were going to be crushed as they pushed and shoved to get the little presents. It was a joy to see these children possessing the kind of resilience and spirit that only youth seem to have. My heart was lifted.
We moved on, and some pigs and chickens caught my attention. I followed them into a cemetery, the only thing remaining in this fishing area. It was scary. Headstones were ripped from the graves while pigs rooted for something to eat. As I made my way through the cemetery a man approached me. His warm face was so engaging that I just wanted to throw my arms around him. He asked me why I was interested in his pigs, and I told him why I was there. Self-consciously, I extended my hand in condolences, which seemed so inappropriate. He squeezed my hand, and did not let go while he told me the story of his pigs. It went like this.
The fishing is seasonal so the pigs and chickens get the family through from one season to the next. The day of the tsunami started out no different than any other. When the wave came in without warning, he frantically tried to rescue his wife and children. Before the tsunami there were about 1,000 pigs in the village. About half of them perished. Those remaining ended up on the road—the high ground—dazed but safe. All night long, he helped his severely injured wife, and searched for his two children who he found dead among the rubble. The next morning, still stricken with grief, he decided to retrieve his remaining pigs which he needed more then ever. When he and the other villagers went up to the road, they were surprised to find that all of the pigs were gone—apparently stolen by bandits in the night.
The tears swelled up in his eyes as he explained that he has lost everything—his children, his boat, his house, his animals, and his very means of survival. He gave me his address in hopes that I could send him a copy of the photos that we had taken of us, along with the surviving children happily waving their animal puppets.
M. Lal Gamini
Cemetery Road
Kalamulla, Sri Lanka
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January 7, 2005
HSI Team Tours Troubled Areas to Assess the Tsunami's Impact on the Animal Kingdom
One of the deadliest natural disasters in human history has killed nearly 150,000 people, wiped out entire communities, and, according to one source, literally pushed the entire country of Sri Lanka slightly. The underwater earthquake off Sumatra, Indonesia and the resulting tsunami affected the animal kingdom, too, but disaster experts, including our staff with HSI Asia, are just beginning to get a picture of the depth and breadth of the destruction.
And the picture developing appears to be in black and white: some good news, more bad.
Anyone following the news has certainly watched or heard these contradictory, black-and-white reports; several media sources have already reported that most wild animals escaped the tsunami unscathed, crediting the creatures' "sixth sense" for their miraculous survival, yet other sources have claimed widespread death and destruction among animals, whether wild or domesticated.
The truth is much more complicated and regrettably ugly. While some animals may have successfully fled to higher ground prior to the wall of water that flattened the landscape, many others were not so lucky. Our colleagues in India report that entire beach communities along the Bay of Bengal have been wiped out, humans and animals equally obliterated, with small packs of roaming dogs now feasting on the remains of goats half-buried in the sand. It stands to reason that other areas, particularly those with a similar mix of people and agricultural animals, have suffered the same fate.
We also have first-hand accounts from our HSI Asia team, which has been dispatched to the worst-hit areas in South Asia. The team, consisting of HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant and Dr. Putu Listrianai Wistawan, the co-founder and director of veterinary medicine for the Bali Street Dog Foundation, has already stopped in Sri Lanka and Thailand, where animal deaths have been limited mostly to pets. At the same time, many dogs have survived, particularly in Thailand, but these homeless creatures find themselves scrambling and scavaging for food and water. And like most pets, they will eat or drink things that are not good for them, like contaminated water.
To help these homeless canines in Thailand, Humane Society International has contributed $10,000 to the Soi Dog Foundation animal rescue project in Phuket. The first $2,000 of this grant will go toward the direct care of homeless dogs, whether providing food and water or immediate veterinary treatment to the animals. The rest will help fund a "field clinic" in Khao Lak, which will provide treatment, care, and food for both livestock and domestic animals in the area.
While in Phuket, Grant also helped coordinate the rescue of two Indian-Pacific humpback dolphins, an adult and an adolescent, who were carried over the tree tops by the tsunami and dumped into a makeshift lagoon. The dolphins apparently rode the tsunami into the previously dry lagoon, which now has seven meters of water in it.
The first attempt to rescue the dolphins on Tuesday, January 4, didn't pan out, but the following day, teams managed to return the adult to the open ocean. On Friday, January 7, Edwin Wiek of SOS Wildlife Rescue Center visited Khao Lak and helped local residents dredge the lagoon; their efforts turned up nothing. Wiek then examined photos taken over the past few days at the lagoon; he determined, by carefully noting skin markings, that the dolphin in every picture was the same animal. He concluded that there never were two dolphins in the lagoon, only the adult who now swims free.
And speaking of Wiek and life-saving efforts, the wildlife expert has begun making regular trips to a small island off Thailand in a dinghy purchased by HSI for his work. The island apparently was devastated by the tsunami, leaving few inhabitants but at least 50 deer. Those deer have no clean water, so Wiek is literally piloting the dinghy over to the island to provide the animals with barrels of fresh water.
In the meantime, HSI has dispatched a small team of livestock veterinarians to Sumatra, where it is believed that agricultural animals took a large hit from the tsunami. Grant and Listrianai will join the veterinarians later this week and begin assessing the damage as well as providing food and water and treatment to those surviving cows, goats, chicken and other animals. "Our efforts in Sumatra are critical to helping residents get back on their feet," says HSI Executive Director Neil Trent. "These people rely on their animals not only to generate income, but also to feed their families. We want to make sure that any injured animals get healthy and are properly fed and watered."
Trent notes that getting a grip on the animal issues in all the affected countries, even at a time of unfathomable human misery and loss of life, is important. Not only is it necessary to dispose of animal remains (human remains, too) to contain the spread of diseases like cholera and typhoid, but it's vital that organizations like HSI work to jump start the economies of these devastated communities—economies largely built on animal agriculture. After all, rebuilding the local agriculture can help a community feed its own citizens, an important step in making people once again self-sufficient.
Other animal-related reports from South Asia:
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According to an Associated Press report, a mother in Chinnakalapet, India grabbed her two youngest children when the tsunami hit her village, hoping her 7-year-old son would follow behind them. He didn't; he hid in the family hut, just 40 yards from the shore. The mother thought she would never see her son again. Lucky for the boy, the family dog grabbed the child by his collar and nudged him up the hill to safety. The hut was gone when the water finally receded.
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A veterinarian from Medan, Indonesia, noted that Banda Aceh, the main city of Aceh province in northern Sumatra, is all but leveled. He noted that few, if any, animals likely survived the tsunami, and that there would be little to do for animals except help to dispose of their bodies. He suggested that surviving animals would be forced to drink open sewage and may likely die from subsequent gastrointestinal problems.
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In Bali, Indonesia, members of the animal welfare group Yudisthira marked their payday by giving generously—several donated nearly half of their pay—to the relief efforts in Sumatra. The group then used their mobile animal clinic to collect donations and filled their van with bottled water, canned fish, milk, and dried fruit to send to regions affected by the tsunami.
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Near Nagapattinam, India, witnesses reported dead cattle littering the fields as aid workers conducted mass burials of unclaimed human corpses brought in on tractors.
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Margot Park, manager of the HSI-sponsored Soi Dog animal rescue project in Phuket, reported that problems with animals were beginning to surface. Even as she sheltered stranded tourists who barely escaped the tsunami, Park noted that dogs on the beaches lack food and water because the food stalls and restaurants that previously sustained them were all swept away. But the destruction was so overwhelming that even the local dogs were "totally dazed—didn't want to touch food," Park lamented. "This all makes many other things so petty."
Grant says that any animal welfare advocates working in the midst of human tragedy have three immediate goals: to remove animal carcasses to prevent the spread of disease; contain starving dogs scavenging for food; and preserve the lives of farm animals needed by subsistence farmers. In addition to preventing suffering whenever possible, these goals are part of the agenda for human survival as well.
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January 6, 2005
HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant's Web Log from South Asia (Day 2)
Phuket, Thailand—Where to begin? Maybe I should start at the end—with the rescue of one of the dolphins stranded in a makeshift lagoon in Khao Lak.
I was on my way from visiting the Phuket shelter—more on that later—when I got a call from the Associated Press' Miranda Leitsinger who was in Kkao Lak covering another story. She got a tip that there were people at the lagoon. She wasn't clear if these people were catching the dolphin or clearing the catch area as discussed in yesterday's planning session. She called to check out the details, which I couldn't provide right then. Fifteen minutes later, she called back to tell me that in fact one of the dolphins, the adult, had been caught and released to the sea. We were able to ascertain that the now freedom-bound dolphin had only surface lacerations, not deep cuts as we earlier feared.
None of the teams mentioned in yesterday's report—Myanmar Dolphin Project, Greek Fire and Rescue, SOS Wildlife Rescue Center or HSI Asia—were present for the rescue, like we were for the previous attempts to save the dolphins. Nonetheless, we were all happy to hear that at least one dolphin was released. Miranda reported that the dolphin was easily netted by the local residents. The fate of the adolescent dolphin is still uncertain; some fear the worst for the young one.
I sent a text message to Jim Styers from Myanmar Dolphin Project to let him know the adult dolphin had been caught. He wanted to know if anyone had taken any statistics—was the animal rehydrated, did it get antibiotics, etc? I told him I didn't know, but thought probably not since the rescue was conducted by local fishermen who would not have had the resources. Jim suggested that someone should be checking the beach regularly as stressed or tired dolphins will beach themselves. That made me think of what Miranda said: that it was easy to catch the animal because she seemed tired. I hope this is a victory.
Edwin Wiek from SOS Wildlife Rescue Center went to the site immediately when he heard the news, and stayed until dark surveying from the shore to see if the other dolphin surfaces.
Wave after Wave of Dogs
Our first experience with the dogs was in Khao Lak. It has been reported that the dog population here as been reduced by 50%. Now whether those dogs got swept to sea or just ran to the hills is uncertain. I can only compare the canines' mysterious disappearance to my experience in Bali with our street dogs. We did not see street dogs along Kuta Beach for nearly five weeks after the October 2002 bombings in Bali; the same thing holds true here: You do not see dogs in Patong Beach in Thailand, which like Kuta Beach is a popular tourist spot. And there are no carcasses around Kao Lak.
The only veterinary facility in the area, recently built by Dr. Trethpa (who divides his time between Phuket and Khao Lak), was completely demolished. This was devastating not only to the veterinarian, but also to the locals who have started calling the Minister of Livestock for help with their animals, both livestock and small animals.
As reported earlier this week by Margot Park, manager of the HSI-sponsored Soi Dog animal rescue project in Phuket, the dogs are getting hungry. That was very evident when Dr. Putu Listrianai Wistawan, Jill Robinson, Animals Asia, and I joined Margot, John Dallie, and Yvonne de Gaay Stekelenburg on their regular feeding routes. This dropped us smack dab into the reality of what these dogs are facing. The dog population has been estimated at 17,000 dogs.
Our first stop was at the Patong river, where there is nothing left of a small subsistence fishing colony. I had to hold back tears at the sight of a dog standing on the foundation, the only thing left of the house, looking out to the river as if anticipating the arrival of his owner. He now joins other unfortunate homeless dogs.
When Margot and Yvonne arrived, the dogs immediately recognized the truck, and started running across the bridge and barking beside the vehicle. It was amazing. I had a flash of the pied piper. Margot said the dogs used to jump into the river and swim to the other side and wait for her at the feeding spot, but they were afraid of the water. We fed them in a different place than usual—it was a concrete foundation slab with blue-and-white print linoleum. I guessed we were feeding them in what used to be someone's kitchen.
The area was flattened, and a broken pipe pumped sewage into the river. The people, dogs, and chickens have no fresh water. It is not hard to figure out that there are going to be additional problems for this little enclave.
Next, we drove along the Patong coast road, winding up the hill and stopping at the regular feeding stations. In a flash, dogs came out of the underbrush, eagerly awaiting the rice and dry food mix. Yvonne noted that five dogs she usually saw on the beach were now in this feeding area—another indication that the dog populations were displaced. As a result of this territory shifting, we witnessed unrelenting dog fighting, which Yvonne and Margot were quick to break up.
On the way back, we stopped to catch a dog whose tail had been chopped off by a machete or knife; the tail had a nasty infection, and had been laying on the side of the road for a day or two. John grabbed the dog so fast you hardly knew what happened. At the same location, we dropped some food off to some locals.
Our next stop was Wat Kamala, once a beautiful temple, which was heavily damaged. Three monks and 15 of the 25 dogs there perished. We were received so warmly by the monks. The relationship between the monks and the dogs is very special. The monks are the primary caretakers of the dogs, but now all of them need a little caretaking—they all are making do in the ruined temple, which rests just 30 meters from the beach.
The main problem facing these homeless dogs is the fact that the restaurant and food stalls, which used to feed them, are all destroyed. The area that was once full of restaurants, food sellers and tourists is now just rubble.
Phuket Shelter: From Bad to Worse
The Phuket shelter was built in May 2003 on what, at first glance, looks like a bucolic acreage for the dogs. The reality of the shelter, however, underlies the pastoral setting. I can tell you straight up that this place would have likely become a morgue if not for Soi Dog, which has worked to spay, neuter, provide veterinary care and feed the 300 dogs here.
Why this shelter needed rescuing by Soi Dog is a long story. Suffice to say that the local municipality didn't devise a comprehensive operational plan when it envisioned a shelter in which to round up all the dogs in Phuket, so that they wouldn't be an eyesore in tourist areas. It quickly developed into a sanitation and humane problem, and the government tried to distance itself from the shelter, which only exacerbated the problem. Margot naturally kept a close watch on the dogs, bringing food regularly and providing veterinary care when needed. She also launched a spay/neuter program to prevent the dogs from breeding.
Thanks to Margot and Soi Dog, the pooches are in good condition at the shelter. These dogs are, for the most part, some of the best-looking mutts I have ever seen. And there are more arriving every day, as the shelter is seen as a "legal" dumping ground. It in not unusual for Margot or the shelter workers to find dogs thrown over the perimeter fence, dumped onto the highway that runs along the perimeter fence, or tied to the entry gate, waiting for someone to arrive and rescue them.
And that brings me to the close of my story. It is not a happy ending.
Yesterday, 14 dogs were sedated and moved from their native island, Khia Paittang, which was devastated. From a population of 300 people, only 85 remain. The island is known for its deer; the people who survived are subsistence deer hunters and don't want the dogs on the island anymore. The residents fear they can't feed the animals, and they don't want the dogs killing deer, either. The dogs arrived at Phuket anesthetized, and woke up in the kennel block confused. Five of the 14 dogs looked depressed. These dogs are pets who lost their owners. Margot, bless her heart, photographed the dogs so she can publish an appeal to find them new homes.
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January 4, 2005
HSI Asia Director Sherry Grant's Web Log from South Asia (Day 1)
Editor's note: Sherry Grant, director of HSI Asia, is part of a small team traveling to the major areas devastated by the tsunami on December 26. She has agreed to write a journal of her trip for readers looking for first-hand information about animals affected by the natural disaster, one of the worst in recorded history.
Phuket, Thailand, Monday, Jan. 3—We arrived in Khao Lak at the site where the two dolphins had stranded. I met up with Jim Styers and Jeff Foster, both of the Myanmar Dolphin Project. We developed a plan of attack with the Greek Fire and Rescue Team and Edwin Wiek from SOS Wildlife Rescue Center. Everything appeared set to save these two Indian-Pacific humpback dolphins.
Jim and a small local team got into a rubber dinghy and surveyed the lake to determine the best place to drop the nets. The HSI team was sidelined when the boat brought for us had a hole in it. But that was not the stumbling block—that began when a group of local fishermen came with a net and a boat.
At first, we thought this was the net that we had spoke about to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. But it was not. It was a local fisherman who launched his own boat, ignoring everyone's pleas to work with the team. Determined, he and the group launched the boat, and they started to set the net. Minutes later, a green-and-white helicopter appeared, the minister's helicopter, so we thought he was coming to have a look at the rescue. But it was the Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, who stopped our efforts and informed us that indeed the Thai fishermen will do the rescue. They are the experts, the secretary told us, this is their region.
We all sat around and watched them put the net out, from which the dolphins easily escaped. We were all curious to see if this would ultimately succeed without our help. Some locals were getting concerned that the Thai fishermen were loosing face and that perhaps we should help them. It was clear the fishermen had not planned what they were going to do, so we struck a compromise: The fishermen would be responsible for driving the dolphins into the netted catch area and rounding up the animals, then the Myanmar team and Greek Fire and Rescue Team would help take the dolphins from the water and transport them to the ocean.
As luck would have it, the dolphins swam where they were supposed to. What was once a feeling of disappointment turned quickly into hope. We all went into action preparing what was needed on shore: slings, water, towels, tube and funnel for intubation, antibiotics, and fresh water for hydration. For two hours, we all stood on the shore anticipating the final stage of the rescue; it literally took that long to close in the nets because there was so much debris—mostly tree stumps and bushes that were growing indigenously before being buried under many feet of water by the tsunami. While we were waiting, two more helicopters arrived, one carrying the actual Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, who came to cheer on the rescue.
As the teams pulled the nets on shore, closing in on the dolphins, the Greek team deployed its divers to make sure the nets didn't get hung up on the debris. The visibility was zero as this area was slowly turning into a cesspool. To make matters worse, yesterday we had pulled several bodies from the lagoon, so there was concern about even more bodies, not to mention contaminated water which could cause problems for the divers.
Then the unthinkable happened: The dolphins did not come up anymore. Some were concerned that they had died from stress, though Styers and Foster suspected that these clever mammals escaped or were stuck in the net. The minister was getting anxious that the dolphins hadn't surfaced and wanted to get professional help. I gently reminded him that two of the most respected dolphin experts in the world were right here on the sidelines watching.
We were soon interrupted when someone yelled from the other end of the lagoon that they saw dorsal fins. One of the dinghies rushed to the other end and confirmed that the two dolphins were indeed free and fine. There was a mix of relief and disappointment, and the minister called on the bullhorn to pull in the nets. We all held our breath as to what else may be in those nets. Hours before, we had found two bodies, a woman and a baby. We were all quietly hoping it was not going to be another dreadful catch. Mercifully, the only victims in this net were garbage and lots of branches and twigs.
Upset that the animals were still in the makeshift lagoon, the minister called the members of the Greek team to the shore and asked them if tomorrow they could initiate our initial plan from this morning. The Greeks, not happy about the abrupt change in plans during the rescue, initially balked at the minister's request, but agreed to give it another try under two conditions: that they deal with only one person and that the rescuers had the authority to make the final decisions. The minister agreed.
Styers and Foster then laid out to the minister the only two options that were likely going to work in this case. Styers said they will either have to dredge (or somehow remove) all of the debris in the designated area where we are working or cut a drain and start draining the lagoon to an adjacent catch area. Either choice, Styers said, was going to take a few days to accomplish.
In the end, the minister said he would support Styers' ideas and talk to the engineers to get their opinions on what they could do toward this effort. The minister then asked Styers to stay on, but the dolphin expert said he had to move on—a survey expedition team was already waiting for him. I knew that Jim had delayed his expedition not only because it was the right thing to do, but because of his friendship with The HSUS's Andrew Rowan and HSI Executive Director Neil Trent.
Everyone left today with the understanding that nothing would happen until one of the two options had been completed. Styers and Foster said the dolphins should be fine for up to 20 days; there was probably fish in the lagoon because there were dried fish all over, and the dolphins were in good shape.
As of late tonight, there was still no word on what the minister's office and the engineers decided. Stay tuned.
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January 1, 2005
Asia Dispatches Team to Areas Devastated by Tsunami
A team from the Asia Office of Humane Society International (HSI) will be heading to Phuket, Thailand; Colombo, Sri Lanka; and Medan and Aceh, Sumatra to assess the needs of animals in the areas devastated by the tsunami last week. HSI is the international arm of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
"Throughout the affected region, communities depend on working farm animals for their livelihoods and survival. In most cases, these animals are the crucial lifeblood of the community," said Neil Trent, executive director of Humane Society International, based in the United States. "By sending a team to these areas, we hope to help the animals, and therefore the people, start to put their lives back on track."
The team, consisting of Sherry Grant, director of HSI Asia, and Dr. Putu Listrianai - Wistawan, the co-founder and director of veterinary medicine for the Bali Street Dog Foundation, plans to arrive in Phuket, Thailand on Sunday, January 2. They will then head to Colombo, Sri Lanka later in the week. Medan and Aceh, Sumatra will be their last stops.
The team will focus their attention to the needs of companion animals, working farm animals, and wildlife, and will travel with veterinary supplies. They will work with local groups and local government officials to identify needs and provide aid where needed. Early reports indicate that some wildlife might have been spared from the tsunami with help from a "sixth-sense", however HSI and HSUS animal experts believe that the true fate of many animals, including companion animals and livestock, remains unknown.
HSI - Asia is a division of Humane Society International (HSI), the international branch of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), one of the largest animal protection organizations in the world. Animals are an important part of our environment and their existence depends to large extent on the preservation of that environment. The HSUS and HSI work to relieve the suffering of all animals—companion animals such as dogs and cats, wildlife, animals raised for food, working animals, marine animals, and animals used in research. Visit the HSI Asia page for more information.
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Updated Nov. 18, 2008.
