Humane Animal Society (HAS) Coimbatore was established in 2006 as a private non-profit trust. It is managed and supported by animal protection activists of the city who strongly believe that animals too have equal right to live and share this world as their fellow humans. HAS is committed to the rehabilitation and welfare of all street animals.
The organisation strives to provide food, shelter and above all, love to street animals. Looking for innovative ways to rehabilitate them, HAS actively promotes their adoption through ‘adopt-a-thons’ conducted periodically. “Adopt-a-thons are the most energy intensive, fun filled and emotionally rewarding events that we conduct. There are few things more heartwarming than to see an animal from the streets become part of a caring family”, says HAS co-founder Dr. Mini Vasudevan. HAS volunteers trained in dog behavior guide prospective pet parents to make the correct choice, and advice the new family about dog care, diet, behaviour, vaccinations and grooming. HAS counselors ensure that the dogs go to loving and responsible homes and also do random house-visits. The new pet parents are given vaccination certificates, leaflets on pet care and contact details of the organisation so that they can approach for assistance at any step. The pets adopted through HAS are given free veterinary care for life including sterilisation at the right age and yearly vaccinations.
But HAS recognizes that adoptions are not the only solution to the problem of stray animals. Controlling breeding through effective implementation of the ABC (Animal Birth Control) program and Anti-Rabies Vaccination camps are parallel strategies that the organisation practices to reduce stray dogs in Coimbatore. Approximately 10-15 dogs are humanely captured each day and sterilised at their clinic in Seeranaickenpalayam. They are released at the place of their capture after three to four days in post-operative care. HAS veterinarians sterilise and vaccinate more than 200 dogs each month this way.
The organisation is also active in rescue and rehabilitation of injured street animals. Their ambulance service that operates in the city responds to calls by volunteers and caring public. Injured animals are taken to the clinic for treatment by a vet. Since inception, they have sterilized over 17000 dogs; secured forever homes to over 1500 companion animals; and rescued, treated and rehabilitated over 9000 animals. HAS continues to push through aggressively to better these numbers further.
“Due to financial and infrastructural limitations, it is practically not possible for HAS to individually care for all these animals. If each one of us were to care for one stray/ homeless animal, suffering would certainly reduce”, says Mini.
Support and get involved with their work here- http://www.hasindia.org/
