Delhi Puppies 4

We are Frodo, Brownie, Gilli and Sammie.

We are four little happy pups - two boys (Frodo and Sammie) and two girls (Brownie and Gilli). 
We are four playful, innocent sixteen-week-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 thankfully been prohibited for the past decade, no comprehensive sterilization programs have been put into place by the government.
So the population of desi dogs continues to swell...

Enter our little family.

Our mom was typical of India's native dog type - small, lithe, and intelligent.

One night, she went into labor by a busy bus stop. Five babies were born but then tragically, Mom died shortly after giving birth to us. 

Was it because life on the streets had starved and weakened her? Was she attacked while in the vulnerable position of giving birth out in the open by a busy road? We will never know…we were too young to understand what was happening.

Fortunately, some kind passersby found us trying to nurse on Mom's lifeless body. They took us to the local shelter. 

Then tragedy struck. One of our siblings passed away shortly after our arrival. The rest of us were sure to follow quickly if we could not find a foster home immediately.

Our beloved earth angel, Simmi Harding, came to the rescue and saved our lives. She heard about us after we had already been at the shelter for a day and were weakening quickly without nourishment. She took us into her home and raised us these past four months into the sweet, loved puppies we are now.

We will let Simmi tell you the rest of our story...

"Our human mommy loves us. She has fed us, comforted us, and kept us warm when we were little babies. She loved us from the day we were born.

Our doggie-mommy died the same night she gave birth to us. Our one sibling also died that night in shelter. We do not know why God separated us all from our mother when we were just a day old. 

When our human mommy, Simmi, came to get us, our eyes were still shut, as all babies' eyes are when they are born. 

We had a very rough start, to life. We all had times where our mom didn't know if we were going to make it or not. 

Mom stayed up all night for many night, trying to make sure we were breathing and feeding us frequently. Day after day, we gained strength and slowly, we grew up. 

All of us have grown up beautifully, as you can see - just have a look at our smiling faces! We have beautiful markings on our body that make us very unique-looking. 

We have had our vaccinations and been dewormed. Our mommy is heartbroken to give us up, but she knows how good life for doggies is in her home nation of the USA. She is looking for loving and understanding families to adopt us in America."

And here Simmi can tell you a little bit about each of us. She sent along these lovely photos too!

FRODO

Me at 2 months...

…and me now, at 4 months!

"Frodo is the baby of the group! Loves attention - anytime and every time. He also loves rope toys and chew toys. 
He starts whining if he has to go pee. That's his way of telling you he needs to go out. If you take him out on time, he will pee in the grass. Otherwise he is trained to go on puppy pads.
Frodo loves swimming in water (they all love water for some reason). He loves to sleep on a pillow in my bed, and he loves his bed, too. 
He likes vegetables (especially carrots and cucumbers), fruits (especially apples and pears), yoghurt. and chicken - and he sure can eat. He will eat all the time if you let him! 
Frodo knows his basic commands: sit, shake and go pee pee/go poo poo. 
Most of all, he loves belly rubs and kisses. He is very fond of his siblings and he also looks up to our other big dogs (especially Fluffy, our biggest dog)."

* * * * *

BROWNIE

Me at 2 months...

…and me now, at 4 months!

"Brownie is brown and white in color. 

She is the calmest of all of the babies. She loves to play with her chew toys, she enjoys chewing on rawhides, and she adores water, like her siblings.

Brownie likes vegetables, fruits, yoghurt and chicken like her siblings. 

She knows several commands: sit, shake, go pee pee/go poo poo. Sometimes she does the stay command too, and all of the babies are very treat-motivated.

Brownie still struggles on the leash, but is mostly housebroken. Sometimes we use puppy pads in the house, but most of the time, they go outside in the grass. We take her up to our terrace garden and let her go there. 

She is a lovely little girl, who enjoys cuddling with me when she sleeps. She is great at giving kisses and enjoys playing with her siblings and with her special friend Lola (our rescue Dalmatian)."

* * * * *

GILLI

Me at 2 months (on the right, with Sammie)...

…and me now, at 4 months!

"Gilli loves water, just like her siblings. As a baby, she was always wet when we would pick her up - hence, the name Gilli ("wet" in Hindi). 

She has grown up so beautifully, with fur that is soft, like that of a teddy bear's. Gilli is our girly-girl. She loves gentle petting and the soft touch, and she likes to sit in my lap and hug me like a little baby. 

She is very gentle eater - so much so, that she eats too slowly and ends up losing her treats to her brothers and sisters! 

She knows her basic commands too. We continue to work on her potty training. She does good most of the time, but she sometimes makes mistakes, and will occasionally growl a little when we wake her up to take her to pee. But we are working on that and she is learning quickly.

Gilli doesn't like the leash very much, like her sister, Brownie, so we are also working on leash training with all four puppies.

She likes fruits, vegetables and chicken, just like her siblings. And she has the most beautiful eyes - they can melt your heart with just one look. " 

* * * * *

SAMMIE

Me at 2 months...

…and me now, at 4 months!

"Sammie is a brindle boy, with the most unique markings. He has a very mature face. 

Sammie likes his space. He is very mild-tempered. He is a lovely boy and extremely intelligent. He knows his commands and listens very well. He will sit, shake, and stay. 

He is fully trained to go out on the grass, and he also knows how to use puppy pads. You give him his basic command - go pee pee or go poo poo - and he will go (generally you don't even need to give him a command). 

Sammie is always hungry - this boy, although skinny, can eat! 

Chew sticks are his favorite, and he can sit and chew on one quietly in a corner for hours. 

He is my cuddle bunny. He sleeps on my arm every night - he settles in sweetly and doesn't move for the night! 

Sammie loves to run and play. He gets along great with his sister Gilli, and as you can see in her photos, they often sleep with each other during the day."

* * * * *

Simmi wrapped up her descriptions with this note:

"All of the babies are very good with commands.

They all love fruits, vegetables and chicken. We make chicken stew with rice, lentils, and vegetables and mix that with their puppy food. I have been feeding them three times a day, dry food (Royal canin - puppy medium) mixed with the stew. Sometimes we give them stew and yoghurt in the afternoons. They all get to share a fruit as a snack, and cucumber/carrots too. 

We play in the mornings on our terrace in the grass and then they all take a nap. Afternoons, they play with their toys and then get lunch and a nap after that. Evenings, they again go up and run around and play. After their dinner, they play in the house and later sleep with me. 

Born on a bus stop, these babies also lost one of their siblings that night. 

Since then, they have been a part of our lives.

I am forever grateful to their new families. 

It is very hard to let them go, but I have to do it, for a better life for my babies. 

They are little pieces of my heart. We have not been separated for 4 months.

If possible, I would love to stay in touch with the adoptive families. It would mean a lot to me, and I hope they will allow it.

God bless you all."

For more information about adopting Frodo (male), Brownie (female), Gilli (female), or Sammie (male) - or any of our available dogs - please contact Dawn Trimmel at (414) 426-4148. Thank you!

* * * * *

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.

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!