The Struggle of Stray Animals
Sick and injured animals living on the street have nobody to ensure they receive appropriate veterinary care in a timely manner. This is even sadder given that stray animals exist because of the actions of humans. These aren’t wild animals, rather, they’re domesticated animals bred for human use, and then abandoned when no longer needed.
The very definition of domestication, according to Oxford Languages is:
“the process of taming an animal and keeping it as a pet or on a farm”
They may have been born on the streets, but they are still domestic animals, and have the same feelings and needs, as “breed” dogs curled up on sofas across the world.
Sick and Injured Stray Animals
Infections, tick fever, maggot infested wounds, road-traffic accidents, malnutrition, mange, and abuse at the hands of humans. These are just some of the problems that street animals face to survive.
While many people are able to turn a blind eye to their suffering, thankfully, many can’t.
Not everyone is in a position to give medical care to a sick and injured animal or provide a safe place to recover. However, reaching out to organisations that can, is just as important.
Left untreated, minor medical conditions can quickly become very severe. Early intervention makes treatment much easier and significantly increases the chances of successful treatment.
With the community looking out for the street animals, they can alert us to any sick and injured animal. This enables us to take action and provide the veterinary care needed before the animal’s condition becomes too serious.
Dudley came from Mandi, three hours away in the next district. As his wound had gone unnoticed for a long time, half his face had been eaten away by maggots. Luckily a caring animal lover eventually spotted him and rushed him to Manali Strays.
The Holy Cow - but only if female
In rural India, if unlucky enough to be born a male, cows:
- are abandoned at a very young age;
- often lack access to appropriate food;
- are attacked by hungry street dogs;
- often become victims of road traffic accidents.
- are abandoned high up the mountain knowing that bears will attack them.
Each year, Manali Strays responds to approximately 70 to 100 calls about injured cows.
Sick and Injured Pets
Prior to 2019, if a pet needed medical attention, the only option was to visit the government vet. But with staff mainly specialising in large animal medicine, companion animals lacked the care they needed.
With nobody to guide pet parents on appropriate welfare and care for their animals, many pets suffered from incorrect, or no, treatment, didn’t receive vaccinations, and were not sterilised.
Even now, for many local residents, taking their pet to the vet when sick and injured is a relatively new concept. But with increasing numbers of people in the area learning about Manali Strays, the number of pets receiving veterinary care also increases.