News
Tamil Nadu: The road traveled to a no-kill country
June 16, 2008, 5:19PM MT
By Sharon St. Joan
43 years with Blue Cross of India
43 years with Blue Cross of India
An article by Sashi Nair, entitled "Best Friends" (not related to Best Friends Animal Society) in the June 6 The Hindu Business Line tells the amazing story of Blue Cross of India and its Chairman, Dr. Chinny Krishna, already familiar to animal people throughout Asia and much of the world.
Dr. Krishna's business, Aspick Engineering, in Chennai, India, is notable for the twenty rescued dogs who lounge on the furniture in his office and who have bowls of porridge lined up outside everyday for lunch. (Aspick Engineering is also notable in the business world, but some of us just know about the dogs!)
A sign at the factory encourages people to adopt "all-India dogs"--mixed breeds with the best qualities of many breeds. Dr. Krishna and his wife Nanditha, a well-known author, have fourteen rescued dogs at home.
Dr. Krishna grew up in Bangalore, has been with Blue Cross of India for 43 years, and is a former Vice Chairman of the Animal Welfare Board of India. In 1959, his parents, Usha and V. Sundaram, who were both pilots, started a clinic, which, in 1964, became Blue Cross of India.
Since that time Blue Cross has led the way in the no-kill movement in India. India is, and has been for the past few years, what we in the U.S. would term essentially a no-kill country--though Indian animal advocates are quick to point out that this is not entirely true. There was killing of dogs in a number of cities last year, due to a dog-bite panic, and government killing of dogs continues in the state of Kerala.
In 1966, Blue Cross inspected the Madras Corporation Dog Pound and found deplorable conditions.
It took thirty years of perseverance and hard work to transform Madras (now Chennai) into a no-kill city, followed over time by the other cities of India.
Blue Cross began a spay/neuter program (in India called Animal Birth Control or "ABC"), that has grown steadily. They now operate several large animal shelters, with full services, including adoptions, expert veterinary care, and a 24/7 ambulance service that picks up injured street dogs. Blue Cross employs 50 people--veterinarians, caregivers, ambulance drivers, and a cook to prepare the animals' food. Their ABC program is a model not only for India, but for cities in a number of other countries.
Dr. Krishna explains that killing stray dogs has not worked anywhere in the world because new dogs move in from surrounding areas to fill the void created and only make the problem worse. The only viable option is spay/neuter. In Chennai, the number of street dogs has now been reduced by 70% by this program. When the dogs are spayed and neutered, they are also given rabies vaccinations. In Chennai, the number of human deaths from rabies (a serious problem in India) fell from 120 in 1996 to five in 2004.
Photo: Sharon St. Joan / Dr. Nanditha Krishna, Dr. Chinny Krishna, at the 2007 MENAW Animal Welfare Conference in Cairo
What you can do
To read this article, go to
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/life/2008/06/06/stories/2008060650110400.htm
The website of Blue Cross of India is
http://www.bluecrossofindia.org
You are invited to join the India Community. Please look above and to the right where you'll see "Join this community."