Dharamsala Animal Rescue was founded in order to humanely help stray dogs and protect the people of Dharamsala from rabies. DAR stands at the corner of a place where many Westerners think human needs and animal rights cannot help but be in conflict, and shows that this does not have to be the case. The staff and volunteers prove that, when we help those creatures who share our world with us, we are really helping ourselves.
COMPASSION FOR CREATURES
Earlier this year, I had the privilege of getting to know the staff at Dharamsala Animal Rescue (DAR), an NGO based in Himachal Pradesh, Northern India.
My veterinarian-in-training sister happened to be volunteering with the organization at the same time as I was traveling through India with a friend - and I was definitely lacking most of my usual equipment; but the opportunity to witness the scope of services they provide was not one I was willing to pass up.
My veterinarian-in-training sister happened to be volunteering with the organization at the same time as I was traveling through India with a friend - and I was definitely lacking most of my usual equipment; but the opportunity to witness the scope of services they provide was not one I was willing to pass up.
THE MOBILE CLINIC
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One of DAR's latest projects is a mobile clinic, which was implemented in July 2013 and now services both greater Dharamsala and rural Himachal Pradesh. The spirit, humor, and passion that the clinic's duo, Kamu and Muna, bring to the bumpy roads they travel on to treat DAR's animal patients is invaluable, so I wanted to make sure to capture them in action.
By chance (or divine intervention), I joined Kamu and Muna on a day when they were set to visit Pepsi for a check-up at none other than the 17th Karmapa's temple. |
RABIES VACCINATION CAMP
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But my very first experience with DAR took place when I was invited to join their team of volunteers at a rabies vaccination project in the informal settlement of Charan Kad.
I couldn't have possibly predicted the chaos that was to ensue. Armed with nets, red paint for marking, cameras, and vaccination kits and working in random teams of DAR staff, volunteers, and local children, we spent the afternoon ducking between boulders and sneaking up on dogs. |
The organization had intended on vaccinating all of the 100-150 dogs residing in Charad Kad, but the task proved to be both tiring and difficult, and we only managed to successfully vaccinate 43 dogs - an accomplishment nonetheless!
Lesson learned: never underestimate the speed or saavy of a dog being pursued.
From puppy-cuddling to dog-chasing, the DAR team is on an ambitious mission to better care for the countless overlooked animals that populate this region of Himachal Pradesh.
As Muna says, “We are human - we treat them. Nobody can treat them otherwise."
Lesson learned: never underestimate the speed or saavy of a dog being pursued.
From puppy-cuddling to dog-chasing, the DAR team is on an ambitious mission to better care for the countless overlooked animals that populate this region of Himachal Pradesh.
As Muna says, “We are human - we treat them. Nobody can treat them otherwise."
Header art by T. Guzzio. Original photo via DAR.
CONNECT WITH KATIE:Katie is a Canadian freelance multimedia journalist with a Masters degree in International Multimedia Journalism from Newcastle University (UK). While there, she trained with the BBC and Press Association and has since contributed to several media outlets, including Inter Press Service, the BBC, IRIN, and the Sunday Sun.
Katie's interest in media development and humanitarian news led her to work overseas in Malawi with the Canadian organization, Journalists for Human Rights, and later, with the UK-based NGO, Concern Universal. In 2012, Katie completed a fellowship at the Central Tibetan Administration in northern India, where she also worked with the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy to produce her first documentary. She then went on to work as a series writer for the award-winning international social travel series, Peeta Planet, which broadcasts to more than 50 million viewers across the Middle East. Katie is currently focused on a number of multimedia projects that allow her to blend her passion for documentary imagery and creative media with her interest in exploring the themes of loss and displacement through personal narratives. She is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists. To keep up with Katie's latest work, go to her website, or head over to her Vimeo page. |
CONNECT WITH DAR:
Dharamsala Animal Rescue was founded by Deb Jarrett in 2009. Their mission is to "seek a humane and sustainable environment for animals with direct benefits to the people of Himachal Pradesh, India. We work to end human deaths by rabies, provide humane animal control and rescue programs, adoption and community education."
Traditionally, the Government of India has tried to deal with the street dogs via mass exterminations. DAR felt that there must be a better way. DAR spays and neuters street dog, helps to provide medical treatment, and works to get as many dogs adopted in a forever-home as possible. DAR also works to raise awareness and change perceptions in India so that dogs can get more humane treatment. The work of the staff and volunteers at Dharamsala Animal Rescue doesn't just benefit the animals they treat. The over 1,000 vaccinations they have completed since 2009 is a valuable weapon in the fight against rabies - a disease that claims the lives of some 70,000 people a year worldwide. Dharamsala Animal Rescue has a great local staff and receives additional help from volunteer western veterinarians. They are a registered 501c3 charity in the US, which means your donations are tax deductible. To learn more about DAR, or to make a donation, or to purchase their 2015 calendar, go to their website. You can also follow Dharamsala Animal Rescue on Facebook. |
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