New Mobile Vet Clinic to Support Bullocks, Horses & Cows in India
Animal Aid Abroad, together with our local partner Blue Cross India (BCI), is launching a new program to run a mobile veterinary clinic for working bullocks, horses, and cows. Thanks to your generosity, this initiative will bring veterinary care directly to animals at their place of work or home, addressing the many injuries and illnesses they face daily.
Background
Working animals in India endure immense hardship.
Buffaloes are used for ploughing and draught work, but once their usefulness ends, they are often abandoned or sold for slaughter. Many die from plastic ingestion or road accidents. BCI recently rescued buffaloes from a capsized transport vehicle and accepted retired breeding buffaloes from a government farm.
Bullocks are used for cart transport, sand hauling, and heavy loads in North Chennai. Some were surrendered to BCI after being impounded by police for illegal sand transport.o the care of BCI after being impounded by the police because their owners were transporting river sand illegally.
Cattle are frequently abandoned on the streets, where they eat garbage and suffer injuries. The Greater Chennai Corporation impounds wandering cattle and sends them to BCI.
Horses are used for racing and joy rides on beaches. When old, sick, or injured, they are abandoned, facing neglect, plastic ingestion, or accidents. BCI rescues such horses and provides shelter and treatment.
Veterinary Issues
Common ailments faced by working animals include:
Lameness, hoof overgrowth, cracks, and foot rot
Joint pain, arthritis, shoulder sores, and yoke gall
Back sores, tendon injuries, exhaustion, and heat stress
Digestive problems such as bloat, indigestion, rumen acidosis, impaction, diarrhoea, and constipation
Parasite infestations: ticks, lice, mange, fly wounds, internal parasites
Seasonal diseases like foot‑and‑mouth disease, bronchitis, and respiratory infections
Skin conditions including dermatitis, ringworm, and chronic wounds
Decline due to old age and neglect
The New Mobile Veterinary Clinic
Animal Aid Abroad will support BCI in operating a mobile vet clinic four days a week, providing care directly to working animals. The clinic will:
Treat bullocks used to pull carts and transport goods
Care for horses used for joy rides on beaches
Provide veterinary support for temple cows
Deliver wound care, parasite control, vaccinations, and emergency treatment
By reaching animals where they work, this clinic will reduce suffering, prevent disease, and improve welfare for countless working animals across Chennai and surrounding areas.
Conclusion and Appreciation
This new mobile clinic represents a vital step forward in protecting working bullocks, horses, and cows in India. With your heartfelt support, AAA and BCI are ensuring these animals receive the care, dignity, and compassion they deserve.
Together, we are turning burden into care — and proving that local partnerships are the key to global change.