new project to care for bulls & oxen working in the sugarcane industry
Animal Aid Abroad, together with our local partner Visakha Society for Protection and Care of Animals (VSPCA), is expanding support to improve the welfare of working bulls and oxen in the sugarcane industry of Anakapalle, Andhra Pradesh. Thanks to your compassionate donations, this new project will bring veterinary care, rescue, and retirement programs to thousands of animals who power jaggery production and rural farming.
Background
Anakapalle is widely known for sugarcane cultivation and jaggery production. Bulls and oxen are heavily used to rotate crushing machines, plough fields, transport goods, and haul sand and construction materials.
Due to continuous work and limited veterinary care, many animals suffer from injuries, infections, exhaustion, and poor nutrition. When they grow old or weak, they are often abandoned or sold for slaughter — creating a serious welfare challenge.
Estimated Population of Working Animals
Based on VSPCA’s field surveys, the estimated number of working animals in Anakapalle district is:
Sugarcane crushing: 3,500
Farming operations: 2,500
Transportation: 1,500
Sand and material transport: 1,000 Total: 8,500 working animals
These animals are spread across villages surrounding jaggery production areas and agricultural zones.
Our New Project
Through this initiative, VSPCA will conduct veterinary camps, vaccination drives, rescue operations, and retirement care programs. The project will improve welfare across the district by preventing suffering, treating injuries, and providing lifetime care for animals no longer able to work.
Project Objectives
Improve health and welfare of working animals in Anakapalle.
Provide regular veterinary care for bulls and oxen.
Prevent suffering from untreated injuries and diseases.
Promote humane handling and responsible ownership.
Rescue and rehabilitate abandoned or injured animals.
Provide retirement care at VSPCA’s shelter.
Project Activities
1. Mobile Veterinary Camps Regular camps will provide wound care, hoof trimming, parasite control, and health checkups across 15–20 villages annually.
2. Vaccination Programs Preventative care including foot‑and‑mouth vaccination and parasite control will protect over 1,000 animals annually.
3. Working Animal Monitoring Field teams will monitor animals in sugarcane crushing units, jaggery areas, farms, and transport operations to identify urgent cases.
4. Emergency Rescue Operations Animals suffering from severe injuries, overwork, or abandonment will be rescued and treated at VSPCA’s shelter.
5. Retirement Program Older or incapacitated animals will be given lifetime care, nutrition, and safe living conditions at the shelter — preventing them from entering the slaughter trade.
Animal Aid Abroad’s Role
AAA will fund this project by covering veterinary staff salaries, medicines, vaccinations, rescue transport, feed, and field monitoring. Together, we are expanding our reach in India to provide care, hope, and dignity for thousands of bulls and oxen working in Andhra Pradesh.
Conclusion and Appreciation
This new project represents a major step forward in protecting working animals in India’s sugarcane industry. With your ongoing support, AAA and VSPCA are transforming lives and proving that local partnerships are the key to global change.