ANIMAL WORLD The$bi'annual$magazine$of$the$Animal$Welfare$and$Protection$Association$ $ $ Website:www.awpasl.orgDecember2015 Vol42 FB:www.facebook:awpsl Storms,Staff,andSupport The recent monsoon rains have caused significant damagedtotheroofofourkahathuduwashelter.the torrentialdownpourscausedalargesectionoftheroof tocavein,thankfullywithoutanyharmtotheanimals. Asalways,wearegreatlyappreciativeofthesupportof our members and donors in financing these essential repairs. Special thanks must be given to Kushan FernandofromPanaduraandLeslieSirimannefromthe HelpersofMaryOrganisation,withoutwhoseassistance this urgent need would have been impossible. We are pleasedtonotethatallrepairshavebeendonewithout any adverse effects to our staff or to the animals we house. LatestNewsfromtheShelters RescueChallenges:AnUrgentCallforEmergencyHelp TheAWPAreceivesfrequentcallstoassistanimalvictims of accidents. As we lack basic support services ambulances, dog catchers, and veterinary hospital facilities wearerequiredtopayprivateclinicswithan ambulanceservicedirectly.thecostsofsuchservices are exorbitant, and create a significant drain on our already thinly stretched funding. Sustaining these services has become increasingly difficult as our prioritieshavealwaysbeentothedogsalreadyresident inourshelters. As always, there is a shortage of staff to help feed the animalsandcleantheshelter.anyofyouwhoknowof potentialstaffforthekahathuduwasheltershoulddirect themtomrs.hemanthajayatilleka We would be remiss without extending a special and sincerethankstoourgeneroussrilankanexpatdonors from abroad. Their continued support is much appreciated. AWPAOnlyRunsNoEKillShelters ARescueSuccessStory:WesleyWagsHisTailAgain The outgoing and happy Wesley was one lucky rescue from the Campbell Park area. After getting knocked down by a lorry, he had managed to drag himself to shelter in the park, where an area resident was kind enoughtofeedhimandarrangeforhisrescuethrough
AWPA. Today, we are happy to say that Wesley has found a safe place at our shelter, where his winning smile and outgoing personality bring true heart and companionshiptohisfellowresidentswhilehisinjuries continuetoheal. Wesley sstoryisheart>warmingtoanyanimallover.yet withover3millionstraysinsrilankasurvivingthrough scavenging, they have little hope of sustaining themselvesaftersuchextensiveinjuries.weappealto allofoursupportersandfriendstodowhateveryoucan toassisttheseanimals whetherthroughaone>offmeal to a stray or through regular care and feeding of a particular animal in your neighbourhood, this help is invaluableinassistingtheanimalsthataretoonumerous forthenumberofformalorganizationstohelp. Ofcourse,vaccinationandsterilizationoftheseanimals is doubly important in limiting the population of strays and eliminating the potential of rabies and other communicable diseases. Culling these animals should notbethechosenoption,asithasbeenintimespast. We urge you to please take a moment to help out a stray,rescuethoseyouseeindistress,andhelpussolve this problem in the most humane way possible. Kindness, after all, is the only communicable disease worthcatching CommitteeofManagementelected attheagmofjuly18 th 2015 OfficeBearers Mrs.HemanthaJayatilaka, President, No.38,NelsonPlace,Colombo6 Mrs.SuranganiDeSilva VicePresident 264,GowerStreet, Colombo5 Mr.GaminiWimalasuriya, Treasurer, No.130,Poorvaramaroad,Colombo5 Ms.ShionaWeerasekera Hony.Secretary No.28,Dr.E.A.CoorayMw, Colombo6 MembersoftheCommittees Mrs.MalsiriDias Mr.RanjithSamarasinghe Ms.IromiSalgado Mrs.PremaAttapattu Mrs.LalanthiWijewardena Mrs.ManelJayasekera Ms.DuniyashaPerera Mrs.AnneSeneviratne Ms.SadhanaVikrantha Mrs.AintheRajapaksa Mr.DeneshDeSilva CallforCommitteeMembers TheAWPAhastwovacanciesfornewmembersoftheCommitteeofManagement.CommitteeMemberswillbeexpected todevotetimeandeffortintohelpingwiththeshelters,fundraising,rehominganimalsandperformingfollowupvisits, coordinatingsterilizationprograms,andthelike.ifyou reinterestedinbeingconsideredforoneofthesecommitteeseats, pleasesubmityourinformationwithreferences)toshionaon0773450031orshiona.space@gmail.com.
DonationsVolunteersAreAlwaysAppreciated PleasecontactShionaon0773450031 orshiona.space@gmail.comtodonate aorvolunteer Donatemeals Rice Dryfish Tinfish Milkbottles Petfood Chickenliver Pedigree/Eukanuba/Classicdogfoods Mariebiscuits DonateCleaningSupplies Lysol Pynol Dettol Mops Rubbersqueegees Rubbergloves Plasticbuckets Mopbuckets Metalfeedingtrays Size8rubberboots Shovels DonateMedicalSupplies DrontalPlus Pyrantinesyruptabs Margosolshampoo Riddticksolution TakOtic Betadinelotion Antibioticscapsules/syrup) Anydogmultivitamin DonateFunds Rs.1,500persterilizationwithintheshelters) Rs.4,000permeal,pershelter,perday Rs.25,000shelterrepairspermonth Rs.40,000worming,pershelter,annually Rs.75,000rabiesvaccinationcostperyear,pershelter Rs.75,000DHLvaccinationcostperyear,pershelter Rs.100,000persterilizationcampfor75streetdogs) Cheques in favour of Animal Welfare and Protection Association.Pleasepostto: AssistantTreasurerOMrs.AintheRajapakse, No29,FrankfurtPlace,Colombo4. Ordonatedirectly: Accountname: AnimalsWelfareandProtectionAssociation i.bankofceyloncodeo034kollupitiyabranch CurrentAccountNo:0001629496 ii.standardcharteredbank,colpetty, CurrentAccountNo:01O1098829O01 Pleaseinformuswhenadirectdepositismadesothatwecan sendyouareceipt. Dana Programme Weappealforcontributionsincash,orkind tofeedouranimals,perhapsinmemoryoftreasuredpet. PleasecontactMrs.SuranganiDeSilvaO0112587116,7to9pm) Aday sfoodcostsrs.4,000/opershelter
For$Adoption $
All$ puppies$ are$ wormed,$ weaned$ and$ immunized.$ Sterilisation$ can$ be$ arranged$ once$ the$ puppy$ turns$ 4$ months$ old$ free$ of$ charge$ for$ low$ income$ pet$ owners).$ Please$ contact$ Iromi$ on$ $ 077$ 656$ 5181$ phone$ or$ SMS)$or$email$iromi54@gmail.com$to$arrange$adoptions.$ $
MythsandFactsAboutSpayingandNeutering The Sri Lankan animal community is rife with myths about sterilizing spaying and neutering) our precious pets.whatmostpeopledon trealizeisthatitactually saveslives. Thereareover3millionhomelessanimalsinSriLanka, only a few thousand of which are in shelters. Even thoseshelterdogsandcatsarerarelyadopted onein twenty at best. The rest of the strays will never get rescued. The majority of strays will remain forever on thestreets,wheretheirhealthandwellbeingisatthe mercy of traffic, lack of food, love, and medical attention. Making the decision to spay or neuter your pet means fewer pets pets as sweet, loving, healthy, and deservingofcompanionshipasyourown.italsolimits irresponsible breeding particularly of street animals with unknown pedigrees or temperaments that can cause danger to other animals and the people around them. Solet sdispelsomeofthecommonmythsaboutspaying andneuteringsoyoucanmakeaninformeddecisionon something vitally important to society and the animals aroundus. MYTH: It's better to have one litter before spaying a femalepet. FACT:Everylittercounts. Medicalevidenceindicatesjusttheopposite.Infact,the evidence shows that females spayed before their first heat are typically healthier. Many veterinarians now sterilize dogs and cats as young as eight weeks of age. Checkwithyourveterinarianabouttheappropriatetime fortheseprocedures. MYTH:Mydogisamale,soIdon tneedtoneuterhim. FACT: Male dogs impregnate unsterilized females, resultinginunwantedlittersthatenduponthestreet. Males, even if well cared for and enclosed in a safe environment, often escape their homes and roam searching for females in heat. These couplings are doubly dangerous not only will impregnated street dogsgivebirthtomultiplelittersofstrays,butyourown maledogisatsignificantriskfordisease,accidents,and attacksfromothermalestreetdogs. MYTH:Iwantmychildrentoexperiencethemiracleof birth. FACT: The miracle of birth is quickly overshadowed by thethousandsofanimalssheltersandonthestreetsin communitiesallacrossthecountry.teachchildrenthat alllifeispreciousbyspayingandneuteringyourpetsand discouragingirresponsiblebreeding. MYTH:Butmypetisapurebred. FACT:Soisatleastoneoutofeveryfourpetsbroughtto animal shelters around the country. There are just too many dogs and cats mixed breed and purebred. The vast majority of all animals entering shelters are never adopted. Even if you have a purebred, responsible breeding means you must take on the burden of ensuringthehealthandwellbeingoffuturegenerations of litters and find good homes for them, as they sometimessufferworsethanstrays. MYTH:Iwantmydogtobeprotective. FACT:Itisadog'snaturalinstincttoprotecthomeand family. A dog's personality is formed more by genetics and environment than by sex hormones. There is no evidencetosuggestthatasterilizeddogwillbeanyless protectiveofitsadoptivefamily.sterilizedpetslackthe urgetoroamlookingforotheranimalsinheat making themhomeboundandfarmorelikelytobeprotectiveof theirown,safeenvironment. MYTH:Idon'twantmymaledogorcattofeellikeless ofamale. FACT:Petsdon'thaveanyconceptofsexualidentityor ego.neuteringwillnotchangeapet'sbasicpersonality. He doesn't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered, and in fact will often be lesspronetounpredictableoraggressivebehaviour
MYTH:Idon'twantmymaledogorcattofeellikeless ofamale. FACT:Petsdon'thaveanyconceptofsexualidentityor ego.neuteringwillnotchangeapet'sbasicpersonality. He doesn't suffer any kind of emotional reaction or identity crisis when neutered, and in fact will often be lesspronetounpredictableoraggressivebehaviour. MYTH:Mypetwillgetfatandlazy. FACT: The truth is that most pets get fat and lazy because their owners feed them too much and don't givethemenoughexercise.sterilizationhasnoeffecton these critical factors of diet and physical exercise. The moreyouplaywithyourdog,thebettertheirhealth MYTH:Butmydogorcat)issospecial,Iwantapuppy orkitten)justlikeher. FACT: Your pet's puppies or kittens have an unlikely chance of being a carbon copy of your pet. Even professional breeders cannot make this guarantee. Thereareshelterpetswaitingforhomeswhoarejustas cute, smart, sweet, and loving as your own. Every animal has a distinct personality and someone who ll lovethemforwhotheyare. MYTH: It's expensive to have my pet spayed or neutered. FACT: Many lowh or nohcost options exist for spay/neuterservices.mostregionsinsrilankahaveat least one spay/neuter clinic. There are dozens of government funded and nonprofit sterilization camps that take place on a regular basis throughout the country. You can contact any animal welfare organization for information and assistance with sterilizing your pet or a local street animal. Many veterinary clinics also provide significant discounts on sterilizationservicesforstreetanimals.pleasediscuss theseoptionswithyourlocalvet. MYTH: I'll find good homes for all the puppies and kittens. FACT: You may find homes for your pet's puppies and kittens. But you can only control what decisions you makewithyourownpet,notthedecisionsotherpeople makewiththeirs.yourpet spuppiesandkittens,ortheir puppiesorkittens,couldendupinananimalshelter,as one of the many homeless pets in every community competingforahome.findinggoodhomesforpuppies andkittensisanarduoustask youhavetoensurethe animal will be cared for, well fed, and have love and space to play. If you don t take the time to cover all thesedetails,youmayhavetodealwithanimalsbeing returned or dumped at shelters due to owners not willing or prepared to take on all of these responsibilities. Creditforthefactsandinformationinthisarticlegoto theunitedstateshumanesocietyanimalwelfareand ProtectionAssociationSriLanka) ColomboInternationalSchoolStudentsVisittothe AWPAShelters TheStaffandthehundredsofanimalsattheDehiwala andkahathuduwasheltersweredelightedbyarecent visit from a wonderful group of students from the Colombo International School. The group of CIS boys andgirlsofallagescamebearinggiftsofmuchneeded food rations worth over Rs. 25,000 to help with our missionafabuloustimewashadbyallasthechildren spenttheirvisitplayingwithourfurryfriends,andeven pitchedintoassistourshelterstaffwiththedailytasks of feeding the animals, cleaning the shelters, and providing greatly appreciated care to the adorable inhabitantsofourfacilities.theawpaismostgrateful to CIS and its students for volunteering their time, money,andlove. AWPAFundraisingRaffle The everhpopular AWPA Fundraising Raffle will be held in June 2016 to coincide with the Annual General Meeting. Weaskthateachofourmemberscontributeinsomeway eitherthroughdonationsofraffleprizeitems,orapledge to sell raffle tickets. Please contact Shiona on Please contact Lalanthi on 011 257 5550 or Shionaon077345 0031orshiona.space@gmail.comifyoucanhelp. Keepyourpetsafeduringtheholidays Makesureyourdoggetsplentyofexercise earlierintheday Keepyourdogsinsideduringfireworks, preferablywithhumancompanionship Provideasafeplaceinsideforyourdogsto retreat.whenscaredofsoundstheycan t orient,dogsoftenprefersmallenclosedareas Keepthewindowsandcurtainsclosedwhen loudfireworksareon.removingvisual stimulationcanalsohelpcalmdogs Leaveyourdogsomethingfuntodo/keep themtheirfavouritetoysortreats
Obituary) ))Dr.)Rohini)Weerakone) ItiswithgreatsadnessthatwenotethepassingofDr.RohiniWeerakone,alifememberof the AWPA and long time supporter and donor. Incredibly generous, Rohini and her husband Sisira donated Rs. 1 million, the proceeds of which were critical in providing running expenses for our shelters. Rohini s strong commitment to the AWPA and her kindnesstoourbelovedanimalswillalwaysberemembered,aswillshe. Season s Greetings and Best Wishes for the New Year from all your furry friends from the AWPA Shelters IfUndelivered, PleaseReturnTo:.. No28,. Dr.E.A.Cooray Mw,.. Colombo06.. Ifyou dratherreceiveournewsletterelectronically,pleaseemailusat:shiona.space@gmail.com