Working from the heart

Street Dog Care improving the health and welfare for street dogs of Boudha

A staggering number of homeless dogs wander the streets of the Kathmandu valley, some reports stating as many as 25,000 or more. Many of these dogs are malnourished and suffering from disease such as tumors, mange, flea infestations as well as internal parasites.  And these are exactly the dogs that Street Dog Care is looking to find, treat, and hopefully adopt to a loving family.

“We try our best to bring dogs in that need treatment and return them to where they were found, but sometimes that can be a real challenge,” Says Jasmine, resident volunteer manager since April 2014. “We try to collect as much information as possible from people as they drop them off or when they call in.”  This is so the dogs can be returned to the familiar territory when they are ready to be returned to the street.

Jasmine (on the left) has been here since April and the other 2 girls work there full time. There is also
a vet tech working, and otherwise they rely on veterinarians in the city to do surgery etc.  If they find a hurt
dog, they usually hop in a cab and take him to the vet hospital.

These are the kennels that can be sponsored.

This poor fella was hit by a car and is paralysed.  He
was one of 4 dogs in yesterday that had the same affliction.

Adoption is also one of the goals of the facility, and it is often the volunteers or staff that manage to find dogs new homes.  Volunteers from Belgium and Germany recently spent so much time with two particular dogs that they couldn’t bear to leave Nepal without arranging to adopt them.  So both dogs are currently preparing for a new life in Europe and resting up for the plane ride it will take to get there.

It is this level of commitment that keeps the heart of Street Dog Care beating.

Even though the facility can hold up to 25 dogs at a time, many more still need intensive care, so to help the broader dog population in Boudha, Street Dog Care Camps have been set up for Saturday mornings right at the Boudha Stupa.

“Aside from treating many more dogs than we can keep at the kennel, The Street Dog Care Camp is a great way to raise awareness for the locals as well as the visiting tourists,” Says Jasmine. “We set up a donations box so that people are able to see the help we give to the dogs and can donate some money right away.”

Street Dog Care generates funds from sponsors such as Shenpen and Chance for Nepal, through online and in person donations, as well as through sales of t-shirts, bags and calendars.  They also developed a program where sponsors can support a kennel for one year, which really helps with yearly budgeting for the facility.  Those who support a kennel receive continual updates as to the progress and release of dogs in the kennel throughout the year.

Local restaurants donate leftover food for daily meals for the dogs, but they still need to supplement with rice and meat, which is where donations become a critical part of their ability to operate.  Volunteers often donate not only their time, but also supplies such as blankets and medicine, which helps keep the operating costs of the facility down.  More information on how you can help the street dogs of Boudha can be found on their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/StreetDogCare or at their website: www.streedogcare.org

Street Dog Care is a non-profit organization in Boudha, Kathmandu that was founded in 2009 by Andrea Bringmann. 

Written by: Ashley Honsberger

Canadian, student, avid traveller, and advocate for good things happening in the world.