Living with the extremes of Rajasthan: Soumya on her hopes for Unlimited Unleashed

Soumya is Animal Aid’s Sanctuary Animal Welfare Manager. She sees first hand how Rajasthan’s extreme weather affects the animals in our care and the people who care for them. 

Rajasthan is a land of contrasts and extremes.

Temperatures over 40 degrees in summer, when everything swelters and the humidity is high. The monsoon season, when it arrives, brings brief welcome respite, quickly replaced with adaptations to life around streets that have become streams. And then the cooler winters, the pleasant season, bringing with it its own challenges of dust and cold nights, when temperatures can fall to just a few degrees above freezing – and have occasionally dipped below zero.

We feel these extremes at Animal Aid more than many. When we say we’ve adapted to our surroundings, weather is no doubt one of the biggest challenges we face.

Our current home hasn’t been designed, it’s been added to, pieced together and shuffled around to make it the best we can manage for the thousands of animals who pass through our gates every year.

 

What does this mean in practice? It’s a never-ending battle.

In summer, it means mobile air-conditioners, external shelter ceiling fans, shade sails, sheep shearing, and hourly checks of all areas to make sure all animals have access to fresh water.

In winter, it’s blankets. Blankets for the dogs to snuggle into during the cold winter nights, blankets for the calves who aren’t used to the extremes, blankets for the puppies who don’t have a mother to snuggle into. We layer bamboo sheets over beds and use hot water bottles to keep our most vulnerable animals warm. And with so many animals needing extra bedding, there’s the non-stop airing and washing of blankets. Sometimes Animal Aid looks more like a laundry than an animal shelter.

And the monsoon? Well, we do our best, as everyone else does, but when shelters become muddy and sanctuary pastures become waterlogged mud baths, it gets wearing. But there are limits to what can be achieved at a site that was never designed around these challenges. In these conditions, inevitably our staff have to work twice as hard and the risk is greater for viruses to spread, or vulnerable animals to face discomfort, and every day we work to make sure the animals in our care have everything they need to survive and recover.

Unlimited Unleashed is our turning point 

It is as much a contrast to our current home as the dry season is to the monsoon.

We’re designing our new home from the ground up, with the needs of every animal in our care driving every decision we make.

Can you imagine the difference this will mean?

Temperature-controlled areas will mean no extremes of heat or cold. Dry, covered spaces will give animals somewhere comfortable to rest and recover, whatever the weather. Under-cover access to different areas within the campus will allow animals and the people caring for them to move around safely and comfortably, whether it’s blazing hot or pouring with rain. And all-weather outdoor recreation areas will mean dogs can exercise, play and explore throughout the year without the grounds turning into a quagmire every monsoon.

The new space will also transform what we can offer animals beyond their basic care. Dogs will have more opportunities for walks, animals using wheelcarts will have better space to move around, and the farm animals will have more opportunities for exposure and interaction. Cats will have more space to play and spend time with volunteers. These things may sound simple, but they are an important part of giving animals a good life while they are with us.

It will mean fewer compromises in the way we care for animals, and a calmer, more comfortable environment in which they can recover. It will benefit the wellbeing of every animal in our care.

A new ere of rescue

I imagine the difference it will make for the staff at Animal Aid too. For our caregivers, who will be able to work in more comfortable conditions and rest and recuperate during their breaks from the baking sun. The weather extremes are as draining for humans as they are for animals, a fact that we often underestimate.

We’ve described Unlimited Unleashed as heralding a new era of rescue. And it will be in so many ways. But for me, when I picture the future, it’s this that I think of most. Animal Aid will be a place of comfort for everyone who steps through the entrance. I’m excited to see this dream become a reality.

Donate to Unlimited Unleashed