| Jeevashram, meaning a
refuge for animals, was founded in 1990, primarily out of the need to have
an animal shelter in India that not just worked but also 'looked' like it
worked for the welfare of animals! Shelters at that time could be described as "animal slums" - under nourished animals, chained or in cages, were the norm. Today we are happy to have accomplished our mission. Independently written media coverage is testimony to our success. We have been the first of its kind shelter in India and are inspiring others to follow our example, as one cannot stress enough the importance of creating a happy and healthy environment for unwanted animals. Having achieved our initial aim, we now intend to broaden our efforts in the area of the animal welfare. It is ironic that in spite of the fact that India is considered the most "ANIMAL FRIENDLY" nation - as implied by our religion and laws - we still have the most primitive zoos, slaughter houses with the worst conditions, a rapidly diminishing wild life population, perhaps the world's largest street animal population, sexual abuse of animals, that usually goes unreported, eating of dogs, a common practice in some of our north-eastern states, an outdated syllabus for veterinary colleges, a lack of professionals in the field of animal welfare, due to the non-existence of colleges for training in animal care .... The list goes on. At present, animal welfare in India is dominated by a very active and powerful "ANIMAL RIGHTS" (Vegan) movement, and a large number of "VEGETARIAN" societies inspite of which, little is done to alleviate the afore mentioned problems. We at Jeevashram have been inspired by the ideologies of organizations such as Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) UK. Jeevashram intends to encourage the replication in India, of the infrastructure that these organizations base their success on.  It is
understood that these organizations have contributed to creating a more
compassionate society in the countries in which they operate, and to bring
about improvement in every sphere of the animal - human
interaction.One area of immediate concern is the most obvious one - the ever-increasing 'STREET' animal population. Jeevashram is particularly inspired by the concept of "RESPONSIBLE PET OWNERSHIP", resulting in more and more animals off the streets and into caring homes and farms. We want to explode the myth that the cows, dogs and pigs wandering our streets are existing harmoniously with the people and enjoying their freedoms. We want the public and tourists alike to take off their rose coloured glasses and adopt a realistic view of the street animal situation. To realize that these animals are victims of traffic accidents, that their injuries go untreated, that they are targets for abuse, that the garbage they feed on results in poor health. We are also motivated to fulfill the dream of Mahatma Gandhi had for our country when he said: "ROVING DOGS DO NOT INDICATE THE CIVILLISATION OR COMPASSION OF THE SOCIETY. THEY BETRAY ON THE COUNTRY THE IGNORANCE AND LETHARGY OF ITS MEMBERS." Through a campaign of public awareness, education in schools and initiatives such as this website we hope to gain widespread acceptance of our aims and thus start to improve the quality of life for the millions of animals throughout India. |