Snakes are a very misunderstood species and there are several myths about them. They are found almost everywhere and if left alone they go about and do their own thing. Only if provoked or cornered will a snake attack a person; in fact more people die of road accidents in India than snake bites.

There are over270 species of snakes in India of which 60 are venomous. Of the 60, only 4 are commonly found, the Krait, Cobra, Russell’s viper and Saw Scaled Viper.

The PEF Snake and Animal rescue program majorly works on dispelling the myths surrounding snakes. PEF is also training people to rescue snakes that get caught in urban places. These snakes if injured are taken to the Pune Snake Park or else released on the outskirts of the city.

Several times birds and small animals also get caught in urban spaces. PEF regularly rescues these animals and if injured gives them to the Katraj Orphanage or else releases them on the outskirts of the city. PEF has a network of people who are trained in snake and animal rescue.

The city of Pune has been seeing a rise in stray dogs in the past couple of years. With the city limits expanding and the speed of new developments increasing, the conflict between man and canids is on the rise. To try and reduce the number of new litters, systematic sterilization is the best solution. Neutering helps to control the roaming instincts in dogs and prevents them from wandering and getting into territorial fights. It also reduces aggression to a large extent.

Sterilisation reduces the occurrence of life-threatening health conditions associated with the reproductive system, including cancer. Dogs that are spayed or neutered by six months of age are far less likely to develop behavioural issues that are related to gender-specific hormones. Systematic sterilisation is carried out to ensure that there is required breeding so as to not hamper genetic pools. Stray dogs help in controlling garbage, rats and mice. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain a steady population of these animals as well.

The cost of sterilisation ranges from 1,200 to 1,500 Rupees per dog depending on the age and health. PEF’s stray dog sterilisation programme is looked after by experts in the field of animal biology as well as experienced veterinarians. Each dog is also given a rabies and 7 in one injection for prevention of other diseases.