From this October, I’ll be going out to Goa, India to volunteer for International Animal Rescue!
To raise money I’ll be running between Bournemouth and Swanage on Saturday 4th September 2010. For those of you who don’t know the trek, it’s an arduous 11.4 miles in the south coast of England, including running on sand and some nasty hills!
BUT WHY?!
This March, I went out to Goa to visit a friend. Within the first few days I spent there it became very apparent to me that there was a huge problem with stray and unwanted domesticated animals. Dogs and cats loiter the streets and beaches, hot, malnourished, and mange and flea ridden. By night, the dogs (who are mostly unneutered) become aggressive and territorial. They attack each other, leading to wounds which when left untreated, can become infected causing pain and sometimes death.
International Animal Rescue (IAR) in Goa have a fantastic programme which takes in sick, injured or pregnant strays from the streets and nurses them back to health. Whenever possible, the animals are neutered which helps to counteract two major problems: the increasing population of stray animals and the fighting amongst male dogs.
Pregnant females are taken in and their litters are homed to loving families. The mother herself is neutered and sent back to her ‘patch’ once healthy and appointments are given to the new families of the puppies and kittens so that they too can be neutered.
Additionally IAR also take in other animals. One such example are cows. When I visited them, one particular cow had an awful wound across the whole of one side of her body. She had been eating crops from a farmer’s field and in retaliation the farmer had thrown acid on her. This had also happened to a male, who unfortunately didn’t make it. As for the female, in the brief time I was there her health improved massively, all thanks to the love and care of the people at IAR.
My aim is to spend 6 months volunteering for IAR, nursing animals, educating people and promoting veganism. As I am doing this off my own back, including arranging my own flights, accommodation and food I’m hoping that people who support this cause will sponsor me. 25% of ALL sponsorship will go directly to IAR Goa, and the rest will help to support me whilst I volunteer.
Please follow the link below and donate whatever you can. Even the smallest amount can go a long way in India.
Thank you for your support! Your generosity is appreciated more than you know!
