Shevanthi Jayasuriya from “Blue Paw Trust” fund did a presentation on how to be kind to animals and the importance of being safe around the animals, especially if it is not your own pet. Children enjoyed this session immensely and were very enthusiastic to ask questions from Aunty Shevanthi and share their experiences with her at the same time. Highlight of the presentation was when Shevanthi shared the story about “Pin-up Bawwa (dog)” called “Tanga” who lost his paws due to human cruelty at an early age and now lives with her. This story touched the hearts of everyone present and taught the children the importance of not being cruel to animals.

Children enjoyed the ‘mini’ pet show afterwards. The kids of Gateway College, Colombo 04 demonstrated their love for animals by donating essential items to The Animals’ Welfare and protection Association.

A pack is priced at Rs 250/= each

Available at Pet Vet Clinic or you can contact 0777 780430 or 0777 748261

Click the image below for more details

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Earlier that week the weather was stormy, threatening to continue the whole week.  All weather reports for the weekend were indicated as “thunderstorms”……. So much for CNN and BBC weather…  We all focused on believing that 27th September Sunday would be one heck of a wonderful bright and sunny day….. and so it was!!!!!

The show began with Snowy taking the center stage with our comperes… from there on the DAY WENT TO THE DOGS!!!
After brief introduction by Dr Nalinika Obeysekere and Dr Eleperuma (Colombo Municipal Council) on World Rabies Day, the event began.

The Bouwwa’s secrets – an Edu-tainment on bite prevention performed by hand puppets was the first item. Our Bouwwa, whilst educating the kids kept them entertained for 40 minutes.

Then we proceeded to having the actual Bouwwa show (dog show exclusively for Sri Lankan Breed of bouwwas).   We had Ms Nela De Soyza, our ever so faithful member and supporter judging each of the categories.

All of the bouwwas were in their best behavior despite the heat, the long wait and the other bouwwas they had never met before!!
Each category was called, our judge was given the task of selecting the 1st Runner up and the Winner.

Categories and winners together with their families are found below.

Bouwwa Show 2009

Best Coat
Winner – Dotty – Vihan de Alwis
Runner up – Benji – Jennifer Gnanamuttu

Gorgeous Eyes
Winner – Alfi – Sadhana Vickrantha
Runner up – Nico – Otara Gunewardene

Most Unusual Colour
Winner – Dotty – Vihan  de Alwis
Runner up – Batti – Ruchira Silva

Tallest
Winner – Lucky – Iranganie de Silva
Runner up –Beauty -  Ruchira Silva

Cutest Puppy
Winner – Kadawatha Puggy -  Malsiri Dias

Bouwwa Show 2009

Best Senior
Winner – Batti – Deepani Perera
Runner up – Daily – Sadhana Vickrantha

Most Beautiful Female
Winner -Ningi Belle – Saveeta de Alwis
Runner up – Jessica – Jay Willock

Most Handsome Male
Winner – Nico – Otara Gunewardene
Runner up – Snowy – Ruchira Silva

Biggest Ears
Winner – Benji – Jennifer Gnanamuttu
Runner up – Nico – Otara Gunewardene

Curliest Tail
Winner – Bullet – Alishya Gunewardne
Runner up – Kadawatha Puggy – Malsiri Dias

Best Markings
Winner – Jessica – Dimitri Fernando
Runner up – Benji – Jennifer Gnanamuttu

Best Dressed as another animal
Winner – Penelope Kokis – Subashini Duraiswamy
Runner up – Snowy – Ruchira Silva

Bouwwa Show 2009

It was a commendable participation by all families of bouwwas as well.  The enthusiasm and the interest shown towards participation in each category was immense.  Blue Paw Trust wants to thank you to all for taking part and making it an absolute success.

Priyantha, a professional dog trainer, then brought out 3 of his best trained bouwwas to demonstrate that our true Sri Lankan breeds are good and obedient dogs!!  Adhering to commands and a show of agility was presented to us by Snowi, Nico and Dotty.

Soon, after this show, the Premadasa riding school presented a beautiful horse dance.

Last but not least was the Air Force Dog Show…. Interesting, hilarious and surprising performances by these beautiful service dogs …. What a show…. !!!  Three cheers to these dedicated canine who work to keep all of safe from harm. A lot of effort was made by their handlers to ensure these dogs do an unbelievably great show for all of you.

Some of the other fun things were face painting…. A rather long queue for this!!  Believe every kid enjoyed this, and few adults too.
The art exhibition by the kids from all schools who have seen Bouwwa’s secrets!!!

Bouwwa Show 2009

The bouwwa’s kade…. Selling merchandise for our friends and family was quite a hit too.

Snakes of Sri Lanka….. a popular item with the kids.

And the Heavy Petting Area —- where friendly doggies were around for all kids and parents to cuddle, squeeze and hug with NO QUESTIONS ASKED!!!

Food and beverages were very much around for all those hungry doggy family members to keep their tummies full.

And that ended another successful day for the Bouwwa show!!  Till we see all of you and more next year…. For the World Rabies Day 2010.

A big thank you to all of you for the support, presence and contributions to making it a success.   An appreciation to all the bouwwas who took part.  Could not have done it without you!!

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Rabies kills over 55,000 people each year. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ‘more than 99 per cent of all human rabies cases are transmitted by the bites of infected dogs’.

Reliable post-exposure rabies treatment represents a major financial burden for the people most at risk – those living in poor rural areas. In Asia, the average cost of post-exposure treatment is US$492.

Like many developing communities, the municipality of Colombo City, Sri Lanka, attempted to control both the roaming dog population and cases of rabies by catching and killing hundreds of dogs every year.

Click here to download the full report.

Strangers abandon cats and dogs, in families, opposite the ancient temple in Thalawathugoda.  The garbage dump beside the road aggravates the situation. One day, a stranger had abandoned a dog with knife injuries here.

“They are animals! To whom are they to tell of their pain and hunger? We should understand this. How can we expect the temple care for these animals every day? The garbage dump cannot provide them their daily food. One day, I cooked and provided these animals with a meal. Later, one by one they followed me home. Eventually about fifteen dogs, male and female, gathered near my home. I fed them whatever I could. Then, they began to breed. My husband and I did not think that this was a problem. Whenever we felt this way, we were patient. But my neighbours did not share our sentiments. Finally I became a nuisance to my neighbours. Ultimately, I experienced the plight of these rejected animals. While I was facing such a dilemma I heard of a person who could help me.”

When Manika mentioned her predicament, this individual concerned had offered to bring the services of Blue Paw Trust to Thalawathugoda. The individual who came to Manika’s aid wishes to stay anonymous but states that she was indeed very happy to help Manika resolve her situation. She also said that on her first visit to Thalawathugoda, Manika’s neighbours were quick to blame Manika for creating a stray dog menace but that she had taken the opportunity to point out to them that the blame lies with not with Manika but with the people who had initially abandoned the dogs near the temple.

However, she believes that as a result of the clinic project there is opportunity for a change of attitude amongst the people in the locality. Because the project brought about an end to the fear of the spread of Rabies and stop to future problems caused by the unchecked breeding of stray dogs.

On the 5th of February, 24 dogs, a mix of males and females, were sterilized and given the anti-Rabies vaccination.

I witnessed this scene near the lower Lihini Hela precipice at about five in the evening. By that time darkness had fallen upon the road that lies beneath the thick jungle.

Very surprising! There were only a few passers by. There was no rest house or boutique in sight. However, by the side of the road lying on dry leaves and twigs were four teeny-weeny puppies. Just one look at these bouwwas made me want to cuddle them. They were black and white and healthy. With a sad heart I left them to continue on my journey. I climbed a few more steps. Sprawled across the step was a large bouwwa in a deep sleep. Judging by its markings, this male dog was undoubtedly the father of those puppies. Yet it showed absolutely no concern for the puppies or the pilgrims who kept passing him by.

I had hardly climbed a few more steps when a beautiful female dog appeared from the jungle. No doubt about it, she looked like the mother of the pups. However, unlike the puppies or the male dog, this female dog seemed restless. Something or someone had caused fear in her.

This female dog had a story to tell. I continued up trying to fathom what it could be. Having travelled a short distance I met an elderly gentleman seated on a step taking a break from his journey. What he told me added a sense of fear to the feeling of sadness I was experiencing at thought of the family of dogs.

“Did you notice how agitated that female dog was? Well it is only a matter of time before a leopard drags those pups away. The female dog has sensed the danger and that is the reason she is terrified. It felt like she was pleading for someone to rescue her pups. What could she possibly do? Even the big dog realizes that once the leopard makes an appearance it would spell the end for the pups.”

Regardless of how they ended up in this jungle, this family of stray bouwwas lived in terror.

Abandoned bouwwas live in constant fear not only in jungles but also in cities, on main roads and on highly populated streets. Most city dwellers go about terrified convinced that these bouwwas would harm them.

The place where both their fears can be dispelled will pave the path to a lasting friendship.

The first ever show for our own Sri Lankan Bouwwa will be back at Sathutu uyana on 27th September 2009.

The Bouwwa’s show 2008  was agreat success for Blue Paw Trust.  With several items on the agenda, the general response from our friends, partners, donors and the general public was immense and most of all the crowds were unmanageable. The crowds made the show.

Our main objective, whilst marking World Rabies Day, which fell on 28th September 2008,  was to create awareness about Rabies and its effects and to promote our cause which is – To eradicate Rabies from Sri Lanka.  Dr Nalinika Obeysekera began the show with a 5 minute introduction in English about World Rabies Day, and the needs to eradicate the fateful disease from our Country.  Dr. Elleperuma from CMC spoke in Sinhalese.

Starting with the registrations for the show…. We had close to 40 dogs registered with 35 taking part.  The contestants were far well behaved than expected and they all went home with a certificate and a gift.  The show on its own was fantastic… with the crowds enjoying the time and attention given to our own “Sri Lankan breeds”

The puppet show was a highlight with all the kids interacting with our hand puppets.  They were captivated by “Bouwwa” who kept them entertained whilst carrying the message of “bite prevention” and “responsible pet ownership”

The Obedience show hosted by Dr Nalinika Obeysekera was also a success with the crowd being educated that our own “Sri Lankan Breeds” can ALSO be trained.

Next was the Horse Dance, another colorful and beautiful item performed by the Premadasa Riding School.  A white horse draped in color danced alongside his trainer.  The crowd loved it.

Premadasa riding school also performed dressage with different riding methods together with jumps.

The Grand Finale —- The Air Force Kennels under the wings of  Squadron Leader Dr. Erandika Gunawardene hosted a show unforgettable by all who saw it.   The service dogs showed their capabilities by locating land mines, catching thieves, jumping fire hoops, and best of all “their ability to be comedians”   A well loved show, with a great bunch of performing service dogs.

The show had plenty of food and drinks to keep the crowds tummies full and  happy.  We also had the Blue Paw Trust stall carrying information about rabies, its effects and prevention methods.  Raffle tickets  were for sale, with a life size Bouwwa as main prize. Beautiful T-shirts with Bouwwa on the front were selling like hot cakes.  Several pharmaceutical and dog food companies supports our cause by having their stalls at the show.

So, don’t forget to keep 27th September 2009 free………come see the Bouwwa show again…. We will have more in store for you.

Dr. Ileperuma said that this successful and satisfactory result is the outcome of a special project carried out by the CMC together with Blue Paw Trust. In 2007 the CMC signed an agreement with Blue Paw Trust. In accordance with the agreement Blue Paw Trust facilitates the sterilization and vaccination of ownerless stray dogs. Moreover, stray dogs that have owners too are sterilized and given anti-rabies vaccinations. The CMC has agreed to provide a place and grant permission for this purpose.  Blue Paw Trust in collaboration with the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) aims to bring about humane dog population control, a Rabies-free Sri Lanka and initiate animal welfare.

“Until recently, in order to control the stray dog population and the spread of Rabies, ownerless stray dogs were caught and gassed to death. But, individuals concerned for animal welfare and similar organizations continuously protested against this method. In response to this plea and in conjunction with the 2550 Buddha Jayanthiya (Commemorating the Birth of the Lord Buddha) His Excellency President Mahinda Rajapaksha requested the relevant authorities to stop the killing of stray animals. During this period, the CMC had already begun to carefully study a suitable alternative method proposed by Blue Paw Trust. This well considered method was ideal with the ‘no kill’ policy,” said Dr. Ileperuma.

“For now, we do not have the required funds to implement this project in localities outside the Colombo municipal areas. However, having witnessed the success of this project, many generous donors have come forward to seek our services. Even now there are instances when private companies have volunteered to sponsor the Educational Hand Puppet Show on dog-bite prevention. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA), having understood the successful manner in which our group of Veterinarians is rolling out this project, has proposed it as a Model Project to implement humane dog population control and eradicate Rabies in Asia. Through this project the most important change in social attitude we see is the shift towards kindness concerning animals” says Shevanthi Jayasuriya, Trustee of Blue Paw Trust. Inquiries on 0777 748 261.

“Today, in this country, there is a strange form of cruelty towards animals prevalent in villages and in main towns. I say it is strange because these acts continue to take place in a way in which it is harmful to humans in general. Unwanted cats and dogs, considered a nuisance by some people, are secretly abandoned inside temple premises and at entrances to temples. Often, these are the very animals that roam in packs in town centres and in villages.  The stray dogs we see are these abandoned dogs and their pups. As a solution to this threat, in the past the municipal councils and the health authorities caught and kill these animals. In reality, all animals belong to the environment. In other words the natural surrounding. It is our duty as human beings to recognize the animal world and create an environment that is conducive for their existence.  We should know how to take measures to prevent any harm being inflicted upon us by these stray animals. But, not by destroying their lives!”

The Reverend Gallé Gnyanawimala Thera, Chief Incumbent of the Dematagoda Gnyanawimala Viharaya shared these thoughts while commenting on Blue Paw Trust and its vision to bring about humane dog population control and a rabies-free Sri Lanka. On several occasions, the Chief Incumbent has provided the temple premises for Blue Paw Trust’s mobile clinic activities. When asked if he approved of the sterilization of dogs he stated that since the objective is good it could not be considered a sin.

“Initially even our benefactors criticized me for providing a place for work related to sterilization of dogs. But I thought that this is better than having them gassed and killed. To have stray dogs with no owners to care for them breed unchecked, is a threat to human life. There is no positive outcome in killing them either. Nowadays there is no stray dog that does not recognize a dog-van, so catching them is no easy task. Every year, even the Government allocates millions of rupees to Rabies related matters. There is no end to this. Therefore the work carried out by Blue Paw Trust is a tremendous support to the Government and to the people in the community. Animals, like people, are very much a part of nature. The most important characteristic of the work carried out by Blue Paw Trust is creating a more harmonious shared living space between humans and animals while taking steps to ensure dog bite prevention” the Reverend Gallé Gnyanawimala Thera further stated.