When he was brought to the hospital, a huge part of the skin on the left side of his torso peeling away. The doctors wanted to help, but the treatment cost was too high. But thanks to a few people who came to know of his story and came forward to contribute some amount individually, the doctors were able to treat him.
Today, Nikara Rama, the mongrel, is healthy and back to roaming the streets of JP Nagar in Bengaluru. His treatment which happened in April, cost over a lakh, and was covered by six good Samaritans.
Nikara Rama’s story is similar to that of many rescued dogs, or other pets that are adopted by low-income families who may not be able to afford the treatment for their animals. To help them, Cessna, a veterinary hospital in Bengaluru, has started a program called ‘Ways to Give’ where people can contribute for the treatment of rescue animals or pets whose families cannot cover the costs of treatment.
Conceptualised a while ago, Ways to Give, the brainchild of Dr Pawan, a veterinary surgeon at Cessna, was started around a month ago. All one has to do is to scan the QR code that can be found at the hospital, or below, through a QR scanner app. You will be put into the list of people who will be notified if there is a case where assistance is needed to cover treatment costs for an animal.
Cessna also puts up details, photos, and stories about such cases on their social media. However, people who are registered with the Ways to Give program will be notified over email too, and can choose to make a voluntary contribution. “‘Ways to Give’ aims to bridge the gap between rescued/needy pets and those who can provide by creating a legitimate and safe platform for both,” says a description of the program on the website.
While most of the cases of animals requiring assistance are rescues, they also have some pet parents who needed financial help. In such cases, the hospital provides a discount, and for the outstanding amount, appeals to Ways to Give members as well as to people on social media to come forward for help. And people who help get updates about the before and after treatment photos of the animal too.
So far, they have around 18 members in the Ways to Give program. Below is the QR code you can scan to become part of it.
Elsewhere in Bengaluru too organisations are working hard to help animals in need with limited resources. Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA), one of the most well-known animal welfare and rescue organisations in the city, can also be donated to via their website.
Another organisation, Karuna Animal Welfare Association, provides shelter and first aid to bigger animals such as cows, along with goats, sheep, dogs and cats. It also provides emergency ambulance services as well as snake care services. Karuna accepts donations in kind such as food and ragi for the animals at their shelter in Hebbal, and also in cash, cheque or online transfer, the details of which you can find here.