Chhaya
***To report an injured or abandoned animal in Kolkata, please call the Chhaya helpline: +91 98302 79138 or email at chhaya.prca@gmail.com
Chhaya is an animal hospital and shelter in the village of Aswathberia, just outside Kolkata. They treat dogs, horses, birds, and cattle. In addition, they have an extensive Anti-Rabies and Animal Birth Control (ABC) program.
Chhaya is located at Aswathberia, Chandaneswar, PS: Bhangore, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal. They are Open Daily from 8:00am – 9:00pm.
Key Takeaways
* Runs a hospital and animal shelter in the village Aswathaberia, on the outer fringes of Kolkata. It has both temporary and permanent animal residents.
* Operate dog ambulances that travel to South and North Kolkata on alternating days 6 days a week.
* Operates 66 well-ventilated kennels for 400+ dog patients and barns for large animals.
* Runs a Gaushala for cows and horses and an aviary for injured birds.
Chhaya’s Mission and Vision
There is a huge street dog and cow population in India. In 2008, an animal lover named Sharda Radhakrishnan quit her job as a teacher and founded Chhaya. The rescue’s original aim was to rescue bruised, battered, and broken animals lying helplessly on the streets of Kolkata.
Chhaya’s current vision is to make the streets of Kolkata as animal-friendly as possible. And their mission is 3-fold:
1) To rescue both stray animals and abandoned pedigreed pets.
2) To provide Animal Birth Control (ABC) to street dogs to humanely reduce their population.
3) To provide free medical treatment to cattle belonging to local villagers.
Animal Rescue
Since its founding in 2008, Chhaya has treated over 20,000 animals. Incredibly, every day they treat 400-450 dogs, 10-15 goats, and 5-6 cows. They also treat injured horses, birds, monkeys, rabbits, pigs, jackals, and more.
Chhaaya has 2 animal ambulances to pick up dogs. Unfortunately, they currently do not have ambulances for large animals such as cows and horse. However, they coordinate with other animal welfare NGOs to rescue those animals.
The dog ambulances travel to South and North Kolkata on alternating days 6 days a week. They typically travel over 62 miles each day to pick up injured animals and drop off healthy ones.
Upon reaching, the shelter administers an antiseptic bath to the dogs upon their arrival and deworms them. They receive medical treatment, ABC surgery, and an anti-rabies vaccine. Then they are returned to the exact location where they were picked up.
Chhaya Hospital and Shelter
The Chhaya Hospital and Shelter is located on 2.5 acres in the village Aswathaberia, on the outer fringes of Kolkata. It has both temporary and permanent animal residents.
Chhaya Dog Rescue
In western countries, every dog brought to a shelter is housed until a permanent home is found. (Or God forbid it is euthanized). This is not possible in India where there are an estimated 30 million street dogs.
Therefore, after treatment most dogs will be returned to the area where they were originally picked up. Only those who cannot survive on the street will make the shelter their furever home. This includes abandoned pedigreed pets who don’t know how to forage for food, and street dogs with terminal illness or physical disabilities.
Chhaya has 66 kennels that house the 400+ dogs that are admitted daily for treatment. Permanent dog residents who are not able to survive on the street live in 5 large outdoor enclosures.
Want to learn more about dogs? Check out my Top 20 Amazing Dog Facts blog!
Chhaya Cow, Horse, and Bird Rescue
Chhaya has an out-patient department that treats the livestock of local villagers. Injured street cows and abandoned horses receiving treatment at Chhaya are temporarily housed in barns.
After they have recovered, injured cows and horses will permanently live at the shelter in a “Gaushala”, which is a protective shelter for cows common in India. Gaushalas focus on treating cows well because of their religious significance in Hinduism, and the cultural sensitivity towards their welfare.
Chhaya also has an aviary for injured birds. Birds with broken legs or wings will live at the shelter permanently. As if we couldn’t love them more, Chhaya also has a playground for local children.
Animal Medical Treatment
Chhaya provides treatment for burn injuries, maggot infested wounds, and injuries caused by vehicular accidents. And they also handles complex issues such as the removal of tumors, cancer treatment, haematoma, and amputations. They have even tackled prosthetics for horses.
Chhaya’s treatment team includes a full-time veterinarian surgeon, several veterinarians, 8 para-vets, and 19 fully trained staff members. Countless volunteers throughout Kolkata also assist by providing first aid to animals in need. They conduct treatments with the help of an X-ray machine, pathological lab, and stocked operating theater.
Animal Birth Control Program
Chhaya operates an Animal Birth Control (ABC) program, designed to humanely reduce Kolkata’s large street dog population. It is meant to help the animals themselves and limit human/ animal street conflict.
Following World Health Organization’s guidelines, Chhaya performs over 100 ABC operations each month. They have conducted more than 7,000 ABC operations, with a 98% success rate!
Upon arrival, the dogs are bathed in an anti-septic and given a dewormer. After their spay or neuter, they receive post-operative care for at least 5 days. Then they receive an anti-rabies vaccine and are returned to their locality.
Follow Chhaya on Social Media
Website: https://prca-chhaya.in/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chhaya-242702439124681/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chhaya_animal_sanctuary/
$ Donate: https://www.paypal.com/donate/?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=SRMKFNRQD8TTW&source=url
