The bayside branch of VBB is holding an India Supper fundraiser for the Bylakuppe Rabies and Disease Control Project. Bylakuppe is a rural setting in southern India and is the location where Dr Michael Heath, Dr lisa Sander and their children finlay and Archie spent the last christmas school holidays.
Bylakuppe is a predominatley buddhist area and has great respect for all life including the community dog population. As a result many surrounding areas tend to leave their unwanted dogs here in the belief that the will be looked after. Unfortunately veterinary services are limitied and stretched and so VBB volunteers are sorely needed.
Then the family were based in a local hospital, performing desexings, rabies eradication programmes and emergency surgeries. The work that has been continued by subsequent VBB volunteers has outgrown the hospital allocated facilities. New premises have been found and will allow greater ability to deal with outbreaks of parvovirus, distemper and rabies when they occur. Over 300 desexings have so far been performed .Over 1000 medical cases and vaccination have been managed . The local human hospital has recorded no human cases of rabies since the project started. This demonstrates that dog desexing and vaccination is the best way to manage dog population , dog health and the incidence of rabies in the human population as well.
The work will continue to be suported and encouraged by the directors of the hospital and also by the members of the local community group “Tinso” . Tinso members live in the village adjacent to the new location and support the volunteers adjusting to the new setting and will be developing a homestay arrangement for VBB workers.
The fundraiser will be held on the 21st July at the the Beaumaris Art Group hall (84 – 98 Reserve Rd , Beaumaris, 3193, behind the Library building ) between 5pm to 8pm. Auctions , including a beautiful painting of Beaumaris Beach by famous artist Annee Kelly and a Bylakuppe Bazzar will be held stocking items made by local craftsmen of Bylakuppe . A range of surgical equipment will be up for silent auction. Dr Michael Heath will take these with him when he returns this August to help relocate the veterinary hospital and conduct remote village desexing stints until it is made ready to function. He will be staying with a family from Tinso.
Tenzing Yeshe will be performing
No volunteers are paid and they pay their own way to Bylakuppe and all their costs such as visa and transfers and accommodation.
All the money raised goes directly to the dogs and to paying the wages of the local staff who have been employed and trained as nurses, kennel hands and dog catchers. We anticipate selecting a budding vet from amongst the most promising staff and training them to continue the work themselves.
The project is incredibly efficient and operates by necessity on a low budget. A little bit goes a long way but we do need that little bit.
$50 will vaccinate 100 dogs against Rabies.
$400 can staff the clinic with nurses and a kennel hand for 1 month.
See www.blackrockvet.com.au for all links to VBB, Bylakuppe , Tinso and the Indian Supper fundraiser.