Partner Focus- Himalayan Animal Rescue Trust

The Himalayan Animal Rescue Trust

Our great privilege is being able to work alongside and support strong and emerging local organisations. One of those is the Himalayan Animal Rescue Trust (HART). An organisation who promotes and protects the welfare of animals (primarily small animals such as dogs and cats) HART and GVI have been working in partnership in Pokhara for over 8 years.

HART is a strong advocate within local communities for the fair and ethical treatment of all animals, challenging traditional views based on misinformation and sometimes harmful traditional practices.

They provide free and low-cost treatment to ill animals, and run regular vaccination and sterilisation camps utilising effective trace and track technologies. These serve to increase the health of animal populations and increase people’s compassion and care towards the animals they see and interact with on a daily basis. They travel across remote districts of Nepal to deliver these services and work to advocate for animals rights at local government levels, earning both respect and positive feedback from many.

GVI’s aim’s in supporting HART have been to:

• Increase the reach, audience and awareness of HART’s work
• Fundraise to supplement costs of their work
• Support the delivery of services to vulnerable community animals

We have achieved these by:

• Inviting HART to present on their work to volunteers and groups
• Co-deliver workshops and training to other community partners and schools
• Collaborate on fundraising events through the GVI Trust and other community functions to raise the profile of the organisation and assist in the delivery of services through improving facilities
• Inform and respond to needs of animals in the community

In recent years we have worked with HART to make upgrades to their treatment facility and regularly deliver training collaboratively to school and community groups. The diversity that our partnership with HART gives to our programmes is wonderful and serves as a reminder of the importance of all types of community programmes.