Mangal and the crime that cannot be forgotten

Animal rescue can be a depressing thing. Yesterday we were called by a young woman from Mangal Bazaar, Patan. A dog needed to be rescued. When we arrived in the alleyway where the dog was kept we were greeted by a dreadful smell. The smell of a suffering, dying dog. A shivering dog was lying in a dark corner, a part of its flank cut off and the underlying flesh and bone parts exposed. Someone must have attacked it with a sharp knife. It barely looked at us, but allowed us to stroke its sad, wet face.

At first people were willing to help. A taxi was called and we were informed that it was no good calling the owners, since they couldn't care less. But when it came to lifting the dog unto a plastic sheet only a drunk neighbour came forward.

At the Mobile Vet Clinic the dog was immediately provided with anesthesia. Soon it became apparent that the dog also suffered injuries on one of its legs and on its back. We decided to put it to sleep.

We did not want the dog to die nameless. We called the dog Mangal, after the location where we found him. Mangal will remain a symbol for the level of cruelty that is inflicted on animals in Nepal.

Rescues such as these make us feel intensily sad. But they also remind us of how important our work is. Until recently no one knew what to do when dogs were tortured. Now people know whom to call. They are angry and upset; the lady who called us said the dog was one of her favourites, who often visited her shop. Mangal went through tremendous suffering but at least he died a painless death.

The next step is to get the Animal Welfare Act passed and functioning and bring the perpetrators to book.

I hope Mangal did not die in vain.

Fluffy: a miraculous recovery

I met Fluffy with her mother and sister at a farm in Bagdol. The farmer (one of the few left in our neighbourhood) owns cows and sheep, and a flock of dogs. He talks to all of them and knows how to treat sick animals with home remedies. His presence is a great source of irritation to the neighbours, who live in marble palaces. They want the farmer to get rid of his dogs, by throwing them in the nearby Bagmati river, or by sending them to his home district.

The farmer loves his dogs. He asked us to help him manage his dog population. They need to be vaccinated and sterilised. I promised - as a first step- to take one of the two puppies. That's how Fluffy came to the house.

Fluffy was very shy and listless. After deworming and defleeing it became obvious that she suffered from parvo, a much dreaded deadly puppy disease. I decided to take Fluffy back to her mother; perhaps mother milk would help her recover. It was too late for that - the mother no longer had any milk left, and Fluffy's sister had already died from parvo.

I felt shocked. A few weeks earlier two puppies had died from parvo in my house. I felt I could not handle another slow, painful puppy death. But I had no choice. I asked Dr Thapa to provide Fluffy with antibiotics and vaccinate her against parvo and distemper, without much hope. The vet too did not think she would make it. I grinded my teeth.

Strangely enough, Fluffy survived. She is in fact the first puppy to survive parvo in my care.

We will never know what caused her recovery. I did give her regular medicines and homeopathic remedies like arsenicum and china, but that is standard. Did the vaccination do the trick? Should we vaccinate sick puppies much earlier to prevent untimely death? Fluffy leaves us with many questions.

And happyness. Because Fluffy found two wonderful adoptive parents - student Shirish and his girlfriend Kajal. Kajal writes the following:

i m the care taker of fluffy.. shirish's frn.. actually i m crazy abt havin pets so he gifted me fluffy.. hhmmm.. fluffy is real clever n cutie.. she has nicely adapted the surrounding and is doing well.. we have assigned a new veterinary 4 fluffy n he visits once a month..the vaccination prescribed in her last prescription r all done.. she sleeps with me n my elder sister.. she wakes up with me at around 6 n we both go 4 a walk.. sometimes she makes me breatheless because she runs real fast.. hehe.. i have sent u some pics of fluffy n my another pet JAMBO.. i m real grateful to u 4 letting me have fluffy.. thanx alot..

Life holds great surprises, for humans, and for canines. Who would think miserable Fluffy would end up like a diva sleeping with two dog crazy sisters?