*** UPDATE!! ***
May 2014
Dee Dee and Creespy (now Christa) arrived here in Chicago, USA in mid-April and have settled in beautifully to foster care at Dawn's home.
They're easygoing, affectionate, super-socialized, and just all around "great dogs" in the words of Dawn and Chuck.
Siblings Buddy and Bindi arrive in the USA on May 3 and we are so excited to meet them, too!
We are currently seeking foster or forever homes for all of these sweethearts.
Thank you to all who made this possible, from the Drs. Choudhary and their organization, Desi Furries Worldwide; to Lorene who cared for these sweet puppies and their mum for two months after they were born; to Sonia who provided all four with loving foster care until the time came for their flights to the USA. We are so grateful to you all for everything you are doing for the street dogs of Delhi!
* * * * *
My name is Buddy.
My name is Bindi.
My name is Dee Dee.
May 2014
Dee Dee and Creespy (now Christa) arrived here in Chicago, USA in mid-April and have settled in beautifully to foster care at Dawn's home.
They're easygoing, affectionate, super-socialized, and just all around "great dogs" in the words of Dawn and Chuck.
Siblings Buddy and Bindi arrive in the USA on May 3 and we are so excited to meet them, too!
We are currently seeking foster or forever homes for all of these sweethearts.
Thank you to all who made this possible, from the Drs. Choudhary and their organization, Desi Furries Worldwide; to Lorene who cared for these sweet puppies and their mum for two months after they were born; to Sonia who provided all four with loving foster care until the time came for their flights to the USA. We are so grateful to you all for everything you are doing for the street dogs of Delhi!
* * * * *
My name is Buddy.
My name is Bindi.
My name is Dee Dee.
And my name is Christa.
We are four playful, innocent, four-month-old puppies.
And we are the tragic by-products of India's street dog epidemic.
Delhi, the national capital of India, is a city teeming with life. Its human population alone stands at 22 million. It is estimated that over 260,000 homeless desi (local/common) street dogs call Delhi home.
Although the killing of desi dogs has been prohibited for the past decade, no concurrent comprehensive sterilization programs have been put into place by the government.
So the population of desi dogs continues to swell...
So the population of desi dogs continues to swell...
Enter our little family.
Our mom is typical of India's native dog type - small, lithe, and intelligent. She makes her home on the streets of New Delhi, and is cared for by locals who offer food and shelter.
After we were weaned, she was spayed. Once recovered, she returned to the streets she called home. This is our mama, who took such wonderful care of us until we were ready to leave the nest.
After we were weaned, she was spayed. Once recovered, she returned to the streets she called home. This is our mama, who took such wonderful care of us until we were ready to leave the nest.
A kind local woman named Lorene had been taking care of our mom for some time. Mom made her home base in a parking lot behind Lorene's apartment.
On January 3, 2014, she gave birth to four puppies - three girls and a boy. Mom took wonderful care of us, never leaving our sides.
Lorene stepped in and made sure she had plenty to eat and fresh water to drink. She also provided us with shelter, safety, and the padded comfort of blankets.
Kind-hearted Lorene took us into her home for foster care through mid-March, and then we moved to our new foster home with wonderful Sonia. Both families made sure we were well-socialized with consistent loving contact with people and other dogs. We were wonderful with their children, too!
Here are our baby pictures as we grew...
Buddy as a newborn, and again, at 6 weeks old.
I am the only boy in our litter, and I'm an adorable, laid-back guy who basks in human attention.
Bindi as a newborn, and again, at 6 weeks old.
I am a girl, and I'm cute, clever, independent, and a little lover.
Christa as a newborn, and again, at 6 weeks old.
I am also a girl, and I'm adorable, quiet, and extremely sweet-tempered.
Dee Dee as a newborn and again, at 6 weeks old.
I am also a girl, and I'm active, confident, and oh-so-sweet.
At the age of two months, once we were a bit older and more independent of our mom, Lorene contacted the wonderful Drs. Choudhary, two veterinarians whose passion for helping us desi dogs is well-known around the Delhi area. These doctors dedicate much of their spare time to sterilizing and vaccinating as many street dogs as they can in an effort to improve the lives and welfare of both us dogs, and the humans we interact with.
They are truly heroes (as this lovely, brief video well demonstrates).
The Drs. Choudhary vaccinated and dewormed us. They also spayed our Mom once we were weaned and placed in foster care with lovely Sonia and her family, where we thrived.
Me, Buddy, in my favorite place to be - lounging on soft grass in the sun, and begging for belly rubs!
And me, Bindi, loping up to my foster mom to solicit pets and cuddles. We are such sweet puppies!
We can't wait til we have families to call our own...
The Drs. Choudhary vaccinated and dewormed us. They also spayed our Mom once we were weaned and placed in foster care with lovely Sonia and her family, where we thrived.
And me, Bindi, loping up to my foster mom to solicit pets and cuddles. We are such sweet puppies!
We can't wait til we have families to call our own...
This is us - Dee Dee and Christa - saying goodbye to our kind caretakers in India back in April.
And here we are with foster mom and dad, Dawn and Chuck, in the Chicagoland area.
We are so excited to start the next chapter of our lives with forever families we can call our own!
* * * * *
The Desi Dogs of Delhi
Over a quarter of a million street dogs - possibly even many more than that - call Delhi, India home. These desi dogs coexist among Delhi's 22 million human residents - and both humans and dogs must constantly walk a fragile, precarious line drawn between them to keep the uneasy peace between the species.
Desi dogs seek shelter every day in parking lots, abandoned buildings, alleyways, and even garbage dumps. They sleep under sharp, rusted car and machine parts, and breathe noxious fumes day and night. They walk on broken glass and are constantly exposed to hazardous materials. Territorial skirmishes are not uncommon, food is a premium and often scavenged for amid fierce competition, and drinkable water is scarce.
Until the day a widely-implemented program is put into place - one with the cornerstones of mass sterilization to reduce street dog numbers; vaccination to protect both dogs and humans from disease; and adoption/responsible pet ownership or street dog guardianship in the intervening years before sterilization naturally dwindles the dog overpopulation problem (for example, for dogs who would not do well in a domestic setting such as a home, there may be neighborhood communities that can commit to feeding and watching over their local packs) - there will be no easy answers to the desi dog problem.
Fortunately, there are two amazing veterinarians - the Drs. Choudhary - who are committed to helping address the Indian street dog issue at its very grassroots. Their dedication and hard work are phenomenal. Together, they have helped to rehabilitate and re-home many of these deserving dogs around the world. And by spaying and neutering, feeding, and medically treating hundreds of desi dogs, they have made lives better for many, many needy dogs.
Here is a link to a Facebook page called Desi Furries Worldwide that provides a wealth of information and many lovely updates about adopted Indian street dogs helped by the Drs. Choudhary. Additionally, here is a link to an informative article written last year and entitled A Better Life for Desi Dogs. It explains the plight of India's street dogs, and showcases the important role that this husband-and-wife veterinary team have played in improving the lives of so many needy dogs.
Thank you so much for your interest and support!
