Get Organised | Stray Buddy

RESOURCES TO GET ORGANISED

Use these resources to get started, strategise and get organised

CREATE AN INFORMAL WHATSAPP GROUP

As a first step, create an informal WhatsApp group with a few feeders/caretakers. Agree to post only about issues related to the stray dogs residing in your colony. Agree on a balanced approach, addressing both human as well as dog sides. It is desired to invite one elected representative of your RWA on this group as an observer. Your first activity should be to carry out a census of your community dogs and create online dog profiles. The Stray Buddy website administrator will create your login account and provides guidance. It is pretty easy! You may contact info@straybuddy.in for support.

PROTOCOL FOR RWAs

This document provides guidance to Residents’ Welfare Associations (RWA) on how to establish an animal welfare committee to effectively manage their community dogs in such a way that it benefits residents’ welfare and at the same time ensures animal well-being. It was drafted by a high-level committee appointed by the Delhi High Court, with involvement of AWBI, Delhi Govt, MCD and with inputs from NGOs and other stakeholders. These directions can be followed voluntarily by RWAs to achieve harmonious coexistence in their area.

Protocol for RWAs

FORMALISE YOUR ANIMAL WELFARE COMMITTEE

Once your RWA has become aware that you are not an animal activist group but that your activities are benefitting the welfare of all residents, you could request them to formalise your group as a sub-committee of the RWA. You could nominate members using a consent form. Request your RWA to send out a circular to inform all residents about the mandate and members of the committee. A sample consent form and RWA circular are provided here as inspiration.

Sample Consent Form

Sample RWA Circular

AGREE ON 5-STEP STRATEGY & PRIORITIES

Discuss Stray Buddy’s step-wise approach with your group or committee and decide which step has the highest priority in your colony, based on your data collection for the dog records. You may download and customise Stray Buddy’s sample strategy. Ensure that the link to your online dog records is shared with all residents so they can familiarise themselves with the dogs residing in your area. Present your 5-step plan in the Annual General Body meeting of your RWA.

Sample Strategy

CREATE A KITTY FOR DONATIONS & EXPENSES

Be transparent about the cost of managing your stray buddies: food, vaccinations, medical expenses, winter coats etc. Some members of your group or other residents may want to give donations. Some RWAs make a (small) amount available from the RWA fees, e.g. towards vaccination costs. Ask one of your group members to keep a track record of donations received and expenses paid. You can download a sample kitty template below, in which the balance is automatically calculated. Share it your with your RWA representative and make sure that the total amounts are recorded in the minutes of the Annual General Body meeting of your RWA.

Sample Kitty Template

COLLAR AND TAG YOUR COMMUNITY DOGS

Every year in the festival season when the firecrackers start, community dogs start running helter-skelter in panic. They get lost and if they are lucky someone starts a hectic search on social media to find them. To avoid this stress COLLAR AND TAG your community dogs before the festive season. Write the name of the dog and your colony name on the tag. We created QR codes for each Stray Buddy community with a link to your photo gallery, so people can easily identify your lost & found dog online. Download your customised QR code below and add it to your tags.

Customised QR Codes

Example Collars And Tags