Attended: Prita Pant, Naresh Chandiramani, Jay Ghosh, Arun Inamdar, Shruti Inamdar, Priyanka, Mithun Mitra, Nutan Limaye, Chetan, Kushagra Rai, Madhu Belur
Venue: New guest house lounge
- A letter is to be written to the Dean of Student Affairs about allowing students (through the Warden/Associate Warden) to keep injured or critical cats/dogs within their rooms, provided their room partners have no objection, for a week. Priyanka will pursue this and send a draft to all. The next meeting will finalize the draft together with in undertaking (that the student gives) about awareness regarding the risks involved in animal handling.
- A cage or two perhaps should be purchased for various purposes. For example, when a dog is injured and needs to be kept in that place for a few hours until a vet comes or until a vehicle is arranged to take the dog. Madhu will talk to the security to ask if the cages that were once kept just behind the current I-card office can be used for this purpose. This will save some money.
- There was a debate about whether there should be a post-operation care center. This is due to many (secondary) infections often being picked at typical animal operation/clinics. However, such a center would have to be in a campus far from other residents, which makes the animal potentially attract leopards. Also, those who go to take care of the animal also becomes vulnerable to leopard attacks. Possibility of such a center will be rediscussed in the next meeting.
- A webpage of various recent updates and activities is to be maintained. For now, it will be at http://www.ee.iitb.ac.in/~belur/animals/
- Kushagra Rai (currently in third year) who is one of the coordinators for NSS suggested if NSS students can take up some activities. Prita and Jay visited the orientation on 21st Aug in SAC and briefed about various activities.
- The group will meet fortnightly: every alternate Tuesday, from 7pm to 8pm. The next meeting will be on 1st Sept, in the new guest house lounge.
- Sterilization of dogs will be taken up as a priority. This weekend, two dogs will be taken to either Dr. Bapat (Mulund) or Dr. Hemant Thange (Thane). Each of these two clinics have place for about 2 to 3 dogs and need to be cared for about 4 to 5 days of the operation. Although there is some difference in the rates, given that there are a large number of dogs to be sterilized, and given that each dog occupies a place of the clinic for almost a week, it is essential to pursue multiple clinics inspite of difference of price. Further, vets do give some discount for animals that are stray, instead of pets. Given this, it is better to initiate the sterilization as soon as possible.
- There needs to be an emergency policy when one gets rescue calls. This will be revisited after the immediate scope of the group: namely sterilization and vaccination are initiated.
- Naresh Chandiramani will be the treasurer for the group and Madhu Belur will write the minutes of meetings.
The meeting concluded around 7:30 pm.
Minutes compiled by Madhu.
Minutes confirmed on 24th August 2015.
Latest version of the minutes are being maintained at http://www.ee.iitb.ac.in/~belur/animals/minutes/
Recent activities and updates can be found at http://www.ee.iitb.ac.in/~belur/animals/