Retrograde, Inhuman Closure of Animal Helpline 8277100200.  Animals & animal lovers who have used this 24/7 Helpline for any animal injury. medical aid, abuse or cruelty are left hanging after the AHVS Helpline abruptly stopped functioning end November 2023. This phone, whatsapp number & twitter handle has been given to everyone to report any animal issue, whether large or small animals, and it is the first 24/7 Helpline in the country - a pride for Karnataka. Now, who do people call for an animal issue, how can incidents be reported, aggregated, docketed, and actioned? As we speak, due to a lack of a helpline, 100's of animals could be lying on the road, whether it is a pet run over, a cow mangled or an unreported animal suffering. 

The reason given is some weak red tape regarding renewal of helpline contract, tender , eligibility etc. What we say is : How come this was not known before? Why was this not preempted and action taken BEFORE it became an emergency and a done deal? Why was it not communicated by AHVS officials in advance to the many animal lovers on the AHVS whatsapp group? We were left to find out when calls were not answered. we were told that the helpline will be restarted on Dec 1st 2023 after the glitch sorted, but we are in January and we see only shrugs, vague or evasive answers. Why? What is the alternate plan? 

The reason for the Animal helpline in an IT city like Bangalore (an excellent initiative by GoK , AHVS & KAWB) is to address animal suffering; aggregate, harness & leverage animal rescuers, shelters, rescuers along with government vet care. Is that no longer important or a priority? Is it okay that after setting up a good facility & platform for action and creating expectation, you are leaving animals to DIE? 

This helpline was a SKOCH Award Nominee as well as you can see from the presentation  and you tube link below. 
 

We need the animal helpline and the call center to be revived IMMEDIATELY. All the red tape, bureaucracy and officialese that is being used as a smokescreen must be sorted asap. Otherwise not only will more animal suffer horribly and die, but already stretched rescuers and animal lovers will be put into untold agony & hardship in attempting to care for them. NGOs have also appreciated the helpline: https://www.deccanherald.com/india/karnataka/bengaluru/calls-pour-in-at-animal-rescue-centres-across-bengaluru-1142900.html

Why is it that when we can improve further, add a few more fine points to make a good facility better, the AHVS insanely chooses to take two steps back and in fact shut the service down? We are flabbergasted especially as the same attitude is shown in the closure of 28 govt vet clinics across Bangalore, where instead of improving the vet clinics it as suggested here in this petition , the AH minister & Dept decided to shut them down. In compassionate state of Karnataka, we ask you: WHERE DO THE ANIMALS GO? 

PLEASE ACTION this and REVIVE THE AHVS HELPLINE ASAP.