Puppies saved from python pit at illegal zoo in India

Two street puppies have been saved from certain death after the quick thinking actions of some university students in India. And along with them, a menagerie of mistreated animals held at an illegal zoo.

Save A Life animal shelter and Humane Society International intervened after students at Christ College Irinjalakuda reported that four puppies had been tossed into a python pit at the school.

“Unfortunately for the puppies, two of them got eaten alive by the Python, but the other two were saved by a group of awesome students WITHOUT THE HELP OF ANY ANIMAL ACTIVISTS,” Save A Life posted to Facebook.

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Meanwhile, animal welfare advocates did step in and were floored to find, (1) the school had a python pit, and, (2) it had an entire mini-zoo on campus.

“On investigation, we found that the college had been keeping pythons, crocodiles, civet cats, a mongoose, and other animals illegally and in substandard conditions,” the Humane Society noted on Facebook. “The college agreed to hand over all of them for rehabilitation and relocation and to allow us to do humane education on campus.”

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Save A Life posted this letter:

“On November 16, 2015, we received a call from the students of Christ College Irinjalakkuda. Someone from the college campus had thrown 4 tiny puppies into a Python cage. It was with horror that we came to know that the college has a mini zoo with a python, 2 crocodiles, a peacock, a porcupine, and a civet cat). This is striclty in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act( WPA 1972) as they do not have a license from the Central Zoo Authority of India(CZA). They also had many rabbits, guinea pigs, ducks and white rats kept in very pathetic and filthy conditions.

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Unfortunately for the puppies, two of them got eaten alive by the Python, but the other two were saved by a group of awesome students WITHOUT THE HELP OF ANY ANIMAL ACTIVISTS but unfortunately, since they were too tiny and nobody was willing to take any responsibility for the babies, and they had to be brought them home with me.

Thanks to Ranjini Haridas of Humanity For Animals Kochi for connecting us with Jibin from Vytilla and the best part is that he wanted both of the babies together. The puppy siblings were very attached to each other and we had so much hoped that someone would adopt them together and it was such a happy day for us today to take the lucky little ones, who saw death face to face, to their forever home.

And regarding the college having the wild animals without a license, the Principal has agreed to give us a letter stating that he is willing to give up all the animals to any concerned authority and he has even invited us to conduct an awareness program for the entire college on Animal Welfare and compassion.

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The zoo had been in the campus for more than 30 to 40 plus years and with the permission of the many of the authorities here even though it was illegal. Since the Principal has himself agreed for giving up the animals now, it is indeed great.

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Special thank you to Jayachandran Sir of Idukki SPCA for coordinating with us and also to the students and Principal of the college (not the students or staff responsible for putting the puppies inside in the first place). Super glad that we could be a part in giving them a happy life.”

The group offered animal welfare awareness classes to the students, including treatment of street dog, and the students were incredibly receptive.

“This is what is needed in animal welfare,” the group posted. “For people to understand that animal welfare is human welfare and that we are working together for the betterment of all life and not just animal life.”

Now, the shelter is working to rehabilitate the wild animals that were being held there.

The puppies, by the way, are happy together in their new home, according to HSI outreach worker, Sally Kanna. Oh, and their names? Billie and Jean.

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Photos Save A Life/Facebook

 

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Recovering newspaper reporter.

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