At Sadbhavan Vrudhashram we feel compassion must go beyond human beings. As we are providing shelter, dignity and care to the elderly people who have no alternative shelter, we are extending the same spirit of goodwill, sadbhavana to the animals which share the same campus and same mission of ours, particularly bulls and cattle, who are discarded once they are no longer found “useful” for farming or to use for milking.
You are not just donating when you donate to our Bull Adoption Programme, you’re helping us save a life. You are taking on a lifelong role of care for a living creature that does not know how to take care of himself. This blog details, in depth, where your contribution goes and why this sum has been determined to enable a bull under our stewardship to enjoy a full, healthy and dignified life.
Why is it that Bulls need Adoption Support?
In many areas of rural and semi-urb Urban India the bulls are left behind after they are unable to plough fields or are too feeble to work. When bulls are no longer needed for work, they do not have an “economic role” like cows do which are still used for milk. This puts them at risk of being neglected, starved, injured by cars on the roads, and slaughtered in certain areas.
In order to change this pattern, Sadbhavan Vrudhashram has introduced its Goshala wing. We save, rehabilitate and permanently place bulls for which there is no home. When it comes to feeding and caring for a fully-grown bull, which can weigh anything from 400 to 800 kg, it’s a major task. This is where your adoption contribution of ₹21,000 is the foundation for our care system.
Now that you’ve contributed ₹21,000, let’s look into what it buys you.
Daily feed and nutrition (approx. 40% of the amount).
A healthy adult bull eats a lot of green fodder, dry fodder (wheat, paddy straw, etc.) and supplementary feed (cottonseed cake, jaggery and mineral mixtures) daily. Your contribution funds:
- Daily feed of green and dry feeds
- Seasonal nutritional food supplements to maintain the body weight and immunity system
- Maintain and improve drinking water facilities
Special feed for old and convalescent bulls, as they require softer and more digestible food.
Good nutrition is not simply a matter of life or death, it’s also a factor in the animal’s immune system, mobility, and overall health, particularly for bulls who might have been malnourished or injured when they arrived at our shelter.
Veteraninary Care and Medical Support (Approx. 25% of the amount)
All bulls placed in our care have an initial health check and are then monitored regularly by a veterinarian. Your donation supports:
- Regular check-ups by visiting veterinarians.
- Treatment for worms and vaccinations.
- Treatment of injuries – particularly common problems such as hoof problems, skin infections and wounds from past neglect.
- Emergency First Aid if sick or injured.
- Medicines, antiseptics and basic medical equipment stored at our site.
A lot of bulls we save are either wounded or have long term ailments from years of hard work or neglect. Regular healthcare can make all the difference between a slow deterioration and a real recovery.
The amount of assistance for each of the three categories is shown in parentheses.
The 10% of the amount is used for shelter maintenance and infrastructure (Approx. 20%).
For any animal, their well-being depends upon having a safe, clean, weatherproof shelter. By contributing to the maintenance of the sites, you are supporting:
- Protect bulls from extreme heat, monsoon rains and cold nights with covered sheds.
- Maintain clean floors and proper garbage collection to avoid disease spread.
- Suitable space for locomotion as bulls require space for walking and comfortable rest,
- Security and fencing to avoid accidental access or escape onto roads.
We are always seeking to enhance our shelter facilities to ensure that every animal, no matter their age or condition, can enjoy a safe and comfortable life.
Approx. 10% of the amount is for daily handling and caretaker wages.
Bulls are large, strong beasts that need patient and skilled handling and require special handling by experienced individuals who know the characteristics of the animal. Your donation supports:
- Competitive salaries for our full time caretakers and goshala employees
- Staff trained in animal handling and in basic first-aid.
- Regular and ongoing observation for signs of distress, illness or behavioral alterations
Our caretakers also get attached to the animals that they are responsible to look after and learn their individual temperaments, preferences and needs like our elderly residents do with the staff in the vrudhashram.
The amount of what you’d like to contribute to the Administrative and Emergency Reserve Fund (Approx. 5%).
- Some of the money donated for adoptions goes into a reserve fund for:
- Unplanned medical events that go beyond normal budgets
- Transportation expenses if a bull must be transported for treatment
- Record keeping and transparency reporting of donors
This backlog allows the care of any animal to be given priority even when budgets are depleted for that month.
The reasons behind selecting ₹21,000 as the adoption amount are as follows:
The amount of ₹ 21,000 is not a random number. It represents the cost of caring for a single bull that has been broken down in a way that allows individual donors, families, or small groups to sponsor a bull together. The number 21 is also auspicious in Indian giving culture, and is often linked to completion and good fortune, matching the spirit of this adoption programme – 21,000 or 21 diyas.
You will essentially be giving an animal a full year of healthy living with dignity by purchasing a bull for ₹21,000.
What you get when you become an adopter.
Adopting a Bull through our Bull Adoption Programme guarantees you are connected with and transparent with the animal you are adopting:
A certificate of adoption including the bull’s information, photograph and a special identification number
- Regular checks on the health and wellbeing of your adopted bull.
- A chance to come into contact with the bull you adopted and visit the goshala.
- Name recognition on our donor wall (can be anonymous if you wish) or anonymity
- Many of our adopters visit regularly and some even name their adopted bulls and visit year after year to renew their support. It evolves from being a transaction to a relationship.
- Compassion Without Boundaries is the name of the Larger Vision.The Larger Vision is called Compassion Without Boundaries.
Sadbhavan Vrudhashram was established with the conviction that all life beings, irrespective of whether they are human or animal, young or old, strong or weak, should be cared for, respected and provided with shelter. It’s helpful for our older folk to realize that we all share the same campus, and the same compassion they receive goes to animals that can’t speak. Our staff and many residents have been able to discover peace and purpose in caring for the bulls in the mornings by the goshala.
When you donate ₹21,000, it supports one bull. It helps to strengthen a community where no one, and no animal, is left behind because they are no longer “productive. It maintains a good practice of caring for the elderly in a compassionate manner, which we hope will be reproduced in other parts of India.
Adopting a bull for your herd is an exciting prospect.
For any queries or suggestions regarding our Bull Adoption Programme, you can contact Sadbhavan Vrudhashram directly on the website or visit us. Our staff will guide you through the existing list of bulls available for adoption, tell you about each bull’s history and health and assist you to complete the adoption process with full transparency.
Each of our bulls has a story: a story of giving up, a story of trying to survive and ultimately, a story of hope. With your support, that story can have a peaceful and dignified next chapter.
Adopt a bull. Change a life. Join Sadbhavan Vrudhashram’s compassion towards all.