We were both very impressed at the resilience and courage shown by all of the organisations we visited who continue to do amazing work in the face of many challenges and adversity. We loved the fact that they all have animal ambulances that go out at almost any time of the day or night to collect sick or injured animals who may have suffered the likes of road traffic or train accidents (there are a large number of permanent dog residents with hindlimb paralysis at each of the Shelters). It was also clear that these organisations were not just there for the animals but they contribute so much to the communities they are involved in as well. The communities too embrace the cause knowing that each dog vaccinated against rabies is one less that could potentially past it on to a human, each dog desexed reduces the numbers of puppies in the local village/town begging for food, and when they see an animal hurt, they know who to turn to. The local people were being educated about animal welfare and how the principles of “One Welfare” affects the whole community.

One cannot visit India without being deeply saddened by the plight of the “sacred” cows scavenging food amongst, and most cases eating, the plastic dumped in the streets. This is a countrywide issue with seemingly no solution. Plastic end up blocking one of the cow’s stomachs and they die an agonising death. In a progressive move several years ago, Rajasthan State banned plastic bags but unfortunately this has never been enforced and the legacy of decades of plastic bag pollution seems hopelessly insolvable. There are many potential solutions to the problem including having a working State run waste management system but the rural areas of India are still many years from this ever becoming a reality.

A shorter term fix maybe to educate people in not putting their food scraps in plastic bags, or even reducing or banning the use of plastic altogether. Again this is a monumental task given availability of resources and the immense populations of India. It is also a frustrating reality that surgical intervention to remove the plastic to alleviate pain and allow for improved nutritional absorption is not a viable option. Firstly, as explained to us by the Shelters we visited, the successful recovery from these surgeries has been very limited (mainly due to the morbid state of the cows at this stage) but also, if the cow recovers and released then it goes back to eating the same rubbish on the streets so in effect nothing has actually been achieved.

Hindu cultural and spiritual sensitivities have significance in dealing with this tragic situation. Euthanasia as a treatment for those cows that are terminally ill and/or suffering extreme pain is illegal due to the scared status of the cow and comes with a 7 year prison sentence, again an added dimension of complexity faced by India’s animal welfare agenda.

However, it was heartening to see and meet new generations of Indians who are prepared to own their country’s animal welfare problems and become part of the solution. Shelters like these need our help in bringing much needed skills to keep the animal welfare movement progressing and most importantly to educate and train the local staff and volunteers to grow and create a sustainable animal welfare future for India.