Animal Care through Education and Veterinary Outreach
Animal Care through Education and Veterinary Outreach (AnimalCEVO)
Animal Care through Education and Veterinary Outreach (AnimalCEVO) project combines animal health education and veterinary outreach to underserved communities who own animals and to reported animals in need in various locations within our outreach capacity.
Our resource persons and volunteers works to:
- carry out community wide research through general observational outings in the outreach area and by focussed visits to families with animals and pets;
- develop IEC materials and organise community outreach education for care and welfare of animals in the community and in wildlife;
- develop partnerships with veterinary clinics and animal care centres to connect them with the families with animals within our outreach area;
- support the animal care initiatives of the local animal husbandry departments;
- support mandate of Animal Welfare Board to prevent cruelty, suffering and pain to all creatures;
- support the sustainable development goals, SDG 14 (Life Below Water) and SDG 15 (Life on land).
Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation during disasters and emergencies:
Natural disasters are one source of animal harm that wild animals are particularly vulnerable to. Earthquakes, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, and natural forest fires can have devastating consequences. Even when it would be possible to help them, most animals affected by natural disasters are left to die or to endure debilitating injuries that could have healed with proper treatment. Like wild animals, domesticated animals too are vulnerable to and can also be harmed by natural disasters.
Animal health, welfare and protection has massive implications for community nutrition, food security and agricultural output. around 2.5 billion people around the world are small-scale farmers, herders, pastoralists, fishers or are dependent on forests, and all of them rely on animals for their livelihoods. Eighteen of the poorest countries are reliant on livestock. Animal-dependent communities are extremely vulnerable to natural disasters and many of the countries with the highest density of livestock keepers are also those with high multi-hazard ratings, it said. A comprehensive study of 78 post-disaster needs assessments, covering 48 developing countries, found that crop and livestock losses amounted to more than USD 24 billion.
Also, disasters are extreme events which elicit strong emotional reactions in both survivors and first responders, such as stress, grief, compassion, fatigue, and burnout. When animals are present during a disaster, humans who have strong attachment bonds with animals are reported to experience more intense emotional reactions and higher levels of stress.
Having seen economies and communities suffer from lack of preparedness. It is essential that animal-inclusive disaster risk reduction strategies are adopted in the community based disaster risk reduction. In accordance with Target C of the Sendai Framework, an international agreement adopted by the UN member states with the aim of reducing disaster risk globally, we endeavour to contribute to efforts to successfully reduce disaster economic losses, including protection of animals.
Some of the focus areas include:
– to integrate animals in the local disaster management plans and as well as in search and rescue operations to ensure that animals and the livelihood of the people are protected from any future disasters
– to conduct grassroots level research on animals in the region to propose suggestions for strengthening resilience and improving comprehensive planning for .
– to prepare specific plans for required training and capacity building, financial and technical resources for animals and livestock care.
– to organise local area Animal Care Fund to help support expand capabilities of outreach education and emergency response.