To start an animal welfare organisation is not complicated at all!

Seeing and experiencing the suffering and pain of animals on a daily basis, all around you, it breaks your heart…. and you act!

That is what “compassion” is, and this is Karuna!

What happens after that first act is an uphill battle – facing problems and issues you never imagined you would have to deal with in your life: to create a legal organisation and find Board members, followed by animal medical problems, nursing improvements, setting up an office, appointing management, hiring and firing attendants for the animals, dealing with government rules and regulations, setting up a transparent accounting system and appointing an auditor!

When you are successful in dealing with all this, you can face public scrutiny when you receive donations from kind hearted people and organisations. People tell you that because you receive money it is your duty to look after their animal, when they refuse to take care of their sick family member.

On top of all this; the reality of pain, suffering and death on a day to day basis causes serious trauma and distress for any shelter worker and animal loving management. This is well documented and is called “Compassion Fatigue”. It is depressing. Where is all this stress ending up? You take it out on the ones closest to you: your family, friends and the ones you work with.

None of us like fundraising. Asking for money feels like begging. It indicates shortage, being dependent, incompetent and wanting. Most donors and animal lovers prefer that their support will be used for a certain purpose: visible animals being rescued, receiving medical care, food and shelter.

We love to give reports, updates, pictures and videos on social media and email to keep all these animals visible in the public eye…BUT… there is a downside to all of this; many support activities and expenses are not covered by donations or grants.  Salaries, management, a functioning office, regular maintenance of facilities and vehicles, the petrol bill, all of this needs to be paid for, to provide for those activities that give relief to suffering and pain and make animals happy and well.

At present Karuna is facing a challenge – we had to use part of our small savings meant for our new wildlife centre, for maintenance and repairs that were pending for three years.  These expenses can only be paid when some animal loving people understand the total picture, trust us and are willing to donate their support as “General donations” for us to decide where it is most needed.

Most of these problems would be solved if we could build up a “Corpus Fund” to provide basic security for the future! (Where is that one billionaire who happens to like what we are doing? )

It only takes for animal loving people, whose hearts have been broken over and over again to understand this message and act!

Clementien