For the love of animals… Since past two decades Animal Shelter at Bombusty has been catering the required needs of all the animals

{KNE} MUKESH SHARMA Kalimpong, October 29: For a balanced ecological system, the animals play a major role along with the humans. However, in this rapidly growing modern world, the animals are made to pay heavy price, as the humans have been selfishly constructing homes for themselves, further making the animals homeless. Apart from this, in one hand killing/ poaching of animals have become normal phenomena. While in the other, the humans have also been keeping domestic animals which contribute a lot towards a balanced ecology.

 With the changing times, we humans seem to be only concentrating on ourselves. One such example is, when we fall sick, we approach the best of the doctors and hospitals for our well being. But at the same time when an animal falls sick, we believe that killing the animal is the best way to get rid of the disease. We believe that this is the best and the only way to keep the environment safe. Nevertheless, the Animal Shelter at Middle Bombusty, Kalimpong has been proving this theory wrong.

 The shelter has been catering the required needs of the animals since the past two decades. Christine and Jeremy Townend, a couple from Australia had visited the Darjeeling hills in 1993. During that time, the Darjeeling Municipality in order to lessen the number of animals used to give them medicines which would lead to their death. Disheartened with the inhumane act, the Townend couple established the Animal Shelter on a 2 acre land at Bombusty through funds raised from different means. 

The shelter till today has rendered services to 70,000 different animals. The animals especially the dogs and cats from every nook and corner are brought in here and operation is conducted on them under Animal Birth Control (ABC) programme. After the operation, the animals are taken back to the places from where they were picked. The shelter has also played a major role in keeping a check on rabies which has been increasing in the hills since the past 5 years. It reaches all the areas of the hills and vaccinates the animals under the Anti Rabies Vaccination Programme. This shelter which is looked by the Darjeeling Goodwill Animal Shelter Trust has a total of 8 workers which includes a doctor, a manager and other helpers.

 As per the Veterinarian, Dr DP Pandey, 30-40 sickness cases of dogs and cats are registered every day in the shelters’ veterinary hospital which is open 365 days a year. The medical bills are of fewer amounts and along with operation other animal diseases are also treated. Speaking about the process of killing of animals in order to decrease their population, Dr Pandey said that it is a wrong taboo. Instead, family planning of the animals should be done in order to control the population rate, said the veterinarian.

 Those animals whose illness cannot be cured are given euthanasia and are cremated at the premises of the shelter. Looking at the services delivered by the shelter, a Gypsy vehicle was granted by the Ministry of Social Empowerment in 1997 in which the animals are caught and brought in the veterinary. A similar animal shelter was also established in Lebong, Darjeeling 5 years ago. These shelters are doing all the necessary things related to animals overlooked by the Government.

 Apart from the pet owners of the hills, people from Sikkim and Siliguri also approach the veterinary here. This shelter which is run by the funds coming in from Australia and France has vacant space which can be utilized. However, the road leading to this shelter situated 4 kms away from the main town is in a pathetic condition. A reserved cab charges Rs 300/- to reach this place while most of the vehicles refrain from travelling this route because of the rough road.

 Along with it due to the recent subsidiary on gas cylinders, the shelter now faces issues on preparing food for the animals kept there. Everyday food for 50 animals is prepared here. The veterinary also faces electricity supply issues as it is situated in a rural area. It also lacks an ambulance. Thus, now after the formation of GTA the veterinary is expecting some help.