A new animal shelter and care facility has opened in Thimphu to provide treatment, rehabilitation and longer-term care for rescued, injured and abandoned animals. Her Majesty Queen Mother Tshering Yangdoen Wangchuck inaugurated the facility established by the Royal Society for the Protection and Care of Animals, RSPCA Bhutan.
For rescued, injured or abandoned animals, finding a safe place for care can be a challenge.
A Nu 11.7 M facility will provide that space, with dedicated areas for treatment, rehabilitation and longer-term care.
The facility includes a day-care centre, an intensive care unit and an incinerator shed. It will also provide day-care services for pet owners.
The shelter was inaugurated coinciding with World Rabies Day. is also expected to support humane animal population management and rabies prevention.
RSPCA Bhutan will manage it. The organisation has rescued animals in distress and promoted animal welfare since 1999. Its work also includes sterilisation, vaccination and promoting responsible pet ownership.
Executive Director RSPCA Bhutan, Tashi Payden Tshering said, “That was the alternative we provided to the culling of stray dogs, ensuring we could prevent dog-mediated rabies la. This is how we started our journey, and to be blessed by Her Majesty today on such a beautiful day feels very auspicious. We feel closer to our vision, because our vision has always been to create a place where humankind and animals can live together in harmony, with mutual love and respect, and where every life is valued.”
As part of the inauguration programme, the book Dongkarla, the Dog Bull, written by Charmi Chheda, was also launched.
The book tells the true story of a bull that grew up among dogs at the RSPCA and came to believe he was one of them.
Charmi Chheda said, “When I heard Dongkarla’s story from the RSPCA, I was inspired and moved. He came to the RSPCA as a baby and grew up with the dogs, so he thought he was a dog too. But one day, he saw his reflection in the mirror and realised that he looked different and wasn’t like the other dogs. This book is also my gift to the RSPCA. One hundred per cent of the proceeds from the book will go towards the RSPCA shelter and the care and protection of animals.”
The facility was funded through the Government of India Project Tied Assistance Fund, routed through the Royal Government of Bhutan.
RSPCA Bhutan also received support from government agencies, Project Dantak, De-suung and the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation, among others.
For RSPCA Bhutan, the new shelter means more space to rescue, treat and care for animals that have nowhere else to go.
Namgay Wangdi
Edited by Sangay Chezom
