IAR News

December 2006

IAR seeks volunteers to help collar stray dogs in Goa

International Animal Rescue has used a massive 5km of dog collar in the past five years to identify the animals it has treated in Goa. The clinic first started treating street dogs five years ago and now has another 5km of collar to send out to the centre for the next influx of canine patients. IAR is looking for people travelling to Goa who might be able to help the charity by taking a pack of collars with them.

The charity’s rescue centre provides a comprehensive veterinary service to the north Goa area, treating all kinds of wildlife and livestock as well as stray dogs and cats. The centre is registered with the Indian government’s official Animal Birth Control Scheme which contributes towards the sterilisation and vaccination costs for each dog.

Alan Knight, Chief Executive of International Animal Rescue, is due to receive an OBE on 7 December in recognition of his services to animal welfare. He says: "The use of such a great length of collar is a tangible indication of how many dogs we have helped in the past five years. Regular visitors to Goa acknowledge the dramatic improvements we have made to the lives of the animals. They no longer see dead and dying puppies and kittens in the markets and on the beaches. Numerous volunteers - many from the UK - help us by walking the dogs and playing with the puppies to socialise them. As the tourist season in Goa gets under way, if any holidaymakers are able to take some rolls of collar with them, that would also be a great way of helping the animals. A collar on a dog is a sign that some one has taken responsibility for its welfare - and that is exactly what we do at our centre.

An IAR team recently set a new record in Spain when Liz Varney from Dallington took a team of two vets and a trapper to Torrevieja. They caught and sterilised 203 stray cats in a week. This is more than the local animal rescue group manages to treat in a year. Local expats Jim and Gwen Harrower who arranged for the IAR team to come out to Spain said that they were absolutely "amazed and delighted" with the results of their visit and that it would make a huge difference to the lives of the strays in the area.

Dogs in Beirut also had a helping hand from IAR recently when the charity provided two volunteers with £500 worth of drugs to treat sick and injured animals.

Anyone travelling to Goa who is able to take a pack of collars with them should contact Tony Woodley at International Animal Rescue on: 01825 767688 or email tony @ iar.org.uk

If you find an animal in distress or would like to volunteer at the IAR centre, please call: +91 832 2268328 or email iargoa @ satyam.net.in

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