How many Dancing Bears have been rescued so far?

388 bears now live free from ropes!

When was the sanctuary built?

It started in 1999 and 145 acres have just been purchased for these magnificent animals!

Please help these bears from a life of pain and suffering.

Have You Heard About the Dancing Bears?

The first International Animal Rescue (IAR) office in America and is really hoping to raise awareness about the plight of the dancing bears.

IAR is a small, hands­on charity that runs animal welfare projects all over the world. Their biggest project is in India rescuing endangered sloth bears from the "dancing bear" trade. The tradition of dancing bears goes back to the 16th century when Kalandar gypsies used the bears to entertain emperors in the Taj Mahal and it still continues today. The bears‚ noses are pierced with a red-hot poker and then a rope is passed through, the rubbing never allowing the wound to heal. Teeth are smashed out with an iron bar and nails are pulled out with pliers. Parliament outlawed dancing bears in 1972, although officials had no where to bring the confiscated animals. Zoos would not accept them because of their deformities. With their teeth and nails removed they could not be returned to the wild, as they would not be unable to eat properly, dig, climb or defend themselves.

Construction of a rescue center for the bears began in 1999, just a few kilometers from the Taj Mahal. In 2002, the 17-acre sanctuary fully equipped with man-made dens, two large pools, quarantine pens, a cub weaning room, clinical labs, and a fully equipped veterinary clinic was complete. On Christmas Eve, 12 bears entered the Agra Bear Rescue Facility to live a life free of ropes and rings. By the end of 2004, there were 100 bears living at the sanctuary.

Bears are trained and owned by Kalandar gypsies and the tradition is passed down from generation to generation. IAR feels that any effort to help the bears must include the people, as their livelihood depends upon the bear. When a bear is turned in, IAR provides the Kalandars with alternative employment or money to start their own businesses such as driving rickshaws and recycling plastic bags. When the Kalandars are given money, they have to sign a contract stating that their children will go to school. IAR has set up a school for the Kalandar children and donated sewing machines so that the people can be re-trained in another skill and don’t have to rely on dancing a bear.

To date, we have rescued 388 bears. We have just purchased an additional 145 acres of land which will allow for the rescue of the remaining bears once a perimeter wall is built. A census completed this year has shown that 600 bears remain on the streets today. Right now it is a race to raise the money needed to build foundations and put up fencing so that the remaining bears can be brought in. At the rate we are going, we hope to have the practice abolished within 3 to 5 years.

» For more information, call 508-826-1083 or email Laurence at laurence@iar-us.org.

heart·worm

A parasitic worm that lives and reproduces in the chambers of the heart of an animal.

flea

Small, wingless, bloodsucking insects that have legs adapted for jumping and are parasitic in the hair and feathers of warm-blooded animals.

tick

Any of numerous small bloodsucking parasitic arachnids, many of which transmit diseases, such as Lyme disease.

The heartworm (Dirofilaria Immitis) is a major pest that affects dogs, cats, and other animals worldwide. Researchers have developed diagnostic tests, treatments, and preventives, but the disease is now evident in all 50 states. According to the Heartworm Society, the highest infection rates occur in dogs that are not on heartworm preventive within 150 miles of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, and along the Mississippi River and its major tributaries.

What can you do? Prevention is simple. Take your pet to your vet and request a blood test to determine if the parasite is present. A regular dose with preventive medication will help keep this parasite away from your pet. Heartworm infestation is dangerous! Untreated dogs die. Dogs that are treated go through weeks of discomfort while the worms are killed and expelled from their bodies.

Then there are the fleas that need to be dealt with. By late spring, fleas begin to emerge from their pupae as adults and locate the nearest dog or cat for food (that means, blood). An adult flea mates shortly after emergence and begins laying eggs within 36 hours. In her brief 50-day lifespan, a single female flea can lay more than 2000 eggs.

With eight legs instead of six, the tick is a cousin to the spider. The tick spreads disease as it feasts on mammal blood. There are several species that feed on dogs, including the wood tick, the brown dog tick, and the deer tick, and they all thrive in tall grass, shrubby areas, and woods. Ticks carry a variety of diseases, the most common being Lyme disease.

Unlike the flea, the tick is a sluggish mover and can easily be picked off the dog with tweezers as it crawls about looking for a feeding spot. So, after a walk in the woods, check your pet (and yourself) for ticks from head to toe, and tail. Ticks can be found more commonly around the dog's head, ears, and in his armpits and  inside of the thighs.

There are a number of treatments available to combat fleas and ticks.

» For more information, refer to the Dog Owner's Guide at http://www.canismajor.com/dog/index.html.

Make a referral that leads to the purchase or sale of a home and have a donation made to the Shelter in your name!

The economy is making it hard on families these days. How can a family donate money to the Sterling Shelter when they are struggling to make ends meet? This is how! James Holyoakis a realtor. He will donate $350 from his own commission to the Sterling Shelter for each referral that leads to the purchase or sale of a home. Simply mention this article!

Want to help the Shelter? Have you considered our Recurring Giving system. This convenient system allows you to automatically make a donation to the Sterling Shelter every month via credit card or checking account. This is an extremely powerful fundraising method that can allow the Shelter to save thousands of additional animals every year with a donation as small as $2.00 per month from you. Thank you for your support!