Heidi

My name is Heidi.



My sister Bella and I are playful, innocent six-month-old puppies who were saved by a lucky stroke of Fate.

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...

Enter our little family.

My sister Bella and I experienced a challenging start to life. Our mother, a street dog in New Delhi, gave birth to me and my two siblings but she died when we were just under one week old.

Fortunately, a compassionate young man picked us up off the streets and saved our lives. He hand-reared all three of us hapless babies. 

 Unfortunately, his family did not support his efforts. They were going to force him to dump us all at a local temple where unwanted animals are often abandoned - and we would surely have perished there. 

This dedicated caregiver managed to find an adoptive family for our sibling, and was trying to place us, too. However, when his situation became desperate and his family insistent, he urgently contacted another committed animal rescuer to come and save us.  

We were so lucky - we were picked up in the nick of time and driven to the veterinary office of the Drs. Choudhary where we received medical exams and our first vaccinations.



Then - luckier still - our angel on earth, Sonia Heller, agreed to take us into her lovely home for foster care until permanent homes could be found for us. Here we are with Simmi Harding, a friend of the family who also fosters for Desi Furries Worldwide. Can you pick out me and Bella in this photo?
Ha ha ha - it's a good thing Simmi loves dogs!

I am an adorable, sweet-natured pup with a brown coat, a little black mask, and beautiful eyes. I am currently growing and learning, along with my sister Bella, in our devoted foster family setting. I am a very silly girl who wants to play all day!

We have had a lovely childhood here!
This is us a couple of months ago, in our "gangly" stage…

  

…and this is us now! Aren't we turning into beautiful young ladies?

We are now six months old and although we love it here with our foster family, it sure would be wonderful to have a home and family to call our very own.

I have a passionate personality, so I am extremely affectionate towards my people! I love to snuggle all the time, and will sleep in everyone’s laps. 

My feisty character also means that I sometimes try to dominate other dogs. It's important that my adoptive family pursue puppy classes to ensure that I develop appropriate socialization habits. 

I am a healthy pup with good eating and sleeping habits. I am quickly learning appropriate house-training routines.

I have come so far in life, thanks to the kindness of an interconnected chain of Good Samaritans. Will you be the last link in the chain that connects me to forever happiness?

For more information about adopting Heidi, 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!

Bella

My name is Bella.



My sister Heidi and I are playful, innocent six-month-old puppies who were saved by a lucky stroke of Fate.

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...

Enter our little family.

My sister Heidi and I experienced a challenging start to life. Our mother, a street dog in New Delhi, gave birth to me and my two siblings but she died when we were just under one week old.

Fortunately, a compassionate young man picked us up off the streets and saved our lives. He hand-reared all three of us hapless babies. 

 Unfortunately, his family did not support his efforts. They were going to force him to dump us all at a local temple where unwanted animals are often abandoned - and we would surely have perished there. 

This dedicated caregiver managed to find an adoptive family for our sibling, and was trying to place us, too. However, when his situation became desperate and his family insistent, he urgently contacted another committed animal rescuer to come and save us.  

We were so lucky - we were picked up in the nick of time and driven to the veterinary office of the Drs. Choudhary where we received medical exams and our first vaccinations.
Then - luckier still - our angel on earth, Sonia Heller, agreed to take us into her lovely home for foster care until permanent homes could be found for us. Here we are with Simmi Harding, a friend of the family who also fosters for Desi Furries Worldwide. Can you pick out me and Heidi in this photo?
Ha ha ha - it's a good thing Simmi loves dogs!

I am an adorable, sweet-natured pup with a pale tan coat and beautiful dark eyes. 

I am currently growing and learning, along with my sister Heidi, in our devoted foster family setting. I am a very silly girl and as a small pup, I was constantly trying to take a "bath" in a little flower pot, as my photo attests!

We have had a lovely childhood here!
This is us a couple of months ago, in our "gangly" stage…

  

…and this is us now! Aren't we turning into beautiful young ladies?

We are now six months old and although we love it here with our foster family, it sure would be wonderful to have a home and family to call our very own.

I am a very friendly, sweet girl who tends to be submissive with other dogs. I am a healthy pup with good eating and sleeping habits, and I am quickly learning appropriate house-training routines with my foster family's guidance.

I have come so far in life, thanks to the kindness of an interconnected chain of Good Samaritans. Will you be the last link in the chain that connects me to forever happiness?

For more information about adopting Bella, 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!

Lamyai/Gypsy (Adopted!)

*** UPDATE!! ***

December 2014
Lamyai left the WSK dog condo in early November. She throughly enjoyed being pampered at her foster home in Bangkok with Soot Liang Woo where she experienced life as a 'house dog' for the first time ever. 



Soot reported that Lamyai was as lovely as ever and had a sweet, gentle, superb character - quiet and a bit shy, but very gentle and trusting with people. She did great with Soot's other dogs despite her long confinement at WSK. 
And she had a silly streak! Soot sent us this video of Lamyai being playful for possibly the first time ever in her life, since she was finally in a safe and calm environment - it touched our hearts to see it. 
We are so very grateful to Soot for all she has done for this deserving little girl. Lamyai's life has made a complete 180-degree turn because she intersected with this angel on earth, who steered her in a course that seemed impossible one and a half years ago, when her fate appeared to be a very long life in a very small cage.
Hats off to you, Sooty, for once again coming through to save a dog in urgent need!!

* * * * *

A wonderful couple - AJ and Max, right here in Chicago - read Lamyai's tragic story and contacted ISDF about adopting her. Upon learning that she was all ready to fly but still needed funds to travel, they reached out to friends and family who answered their call for help immediately and generously.
Within days, Lamyai's new parents and their "village" had fully fundraised the entire amount needed to pay off Lamyai's medical bills, import fees, travel paperwork, and flight costs. 
Hats off to the inspiring dedication of her new family, who knocked our socks off with their commitment and resolve to save this sweet girl they had yet to even meet!
Within days of reaching out to us, Lamyai was on her way...

Lamyai arrived at O'Hare Airport on Monday, December 1 along with New Delhi sisters Bella and Heidi who came in on a different flight at the same time. All three were joyfully greeted by Dawn and Chuck.

All three girls headed to the veterinarian's office for a quick checkup where they were lovingly welcomed by our veterinarian and her staff. 



The puppies befriended shy Lamyai there, though she was so tired from her journey that she preferred to cuddle in Chuck's arms over any other activity.



Chuck brought Lamyai - who is now named Gypsy - to her adoptive parents AJ and Max in Chicago the following afternoon. It was a warm and long-awaited meeting for her new family!



Here is Gypsy settling into her new digs. She seemed to be saying, "Toys? What are toys?? Ohhhhh. Toys are FUN!"

Happy, loved, free from confinement, and SAFE at long last! Gypsy cuddling with her new daddy upon whom she has decided the sun rises and sets. 
Oh Gypsy - how we have waited for this moment - you have realized a dream for so many people around the world who love you…

Thank you to all who made this possible, from Soot Liang Woo for saving this dear girl from WSK's dog condo; to international supporters of Soot's work and ISDF for donating towards her flight fund; to the Wilton-Iniguez family for welcoming dear Gypsy into their hearts and home with open arms.

* * * * * 

My name is Lamyai.

It's a mysterious name, the Chinese word for "dragon eyes" - and mine certainly are two of the deepest liquid amber pools you will ever lose yourself in. 
But it's also the name of a popular fruit in Asia. And like the fruit, I too am sweet to my core. One taste and you will be hooked. Or so I dream...

My story began alongside my beloved sister, Linchi (Chinese for lychee) when we were born in the streets on the outskirts of Bangkok.
Our area attracts many drifting immigrants looking for work. Unfortunately, a large number of these people hail from neighboring nations where eating dogs is commonplace. We were trusting of strangers and would approach anyone who called out to us. 
While this earned us many pats and tossed tidbits, it also brought us to the attention of a local kind-hearted animal lover. She knew that our location was one of several hotspots for dog meat trade smugglers who seek out easy prey for the capture, to be transported and sold across the border for slaughter and consumption. It broke her heart to imagine Linchi and I trussed, bound, and moments from being prepared for someone's dinner plate, so she collected us both and began looking for a safe place to shelter us.

Concerned for our safety and with few options, she brought us here to the Wat Suan Keaw (WSK)'s so-called Dog Condo, approximately one hour outside of Bangkok. Though WSK's two dedicated animal-loving caretakers do their best to shelter over 1500 of us who have been brought here over the years, it is a gargantuan task. As a result, many of us unintentionally dwindle in miserable, perpetual confinement, often for our whole lives.

I was one of those dogs. 
For my entire life - I am approximately one and a half years old - I have been confined to a small cage with bent bars that is partially suspended off the ground.



I am gentle, sweet, meek and submissive - and hence, often in the crosshairs of stronger, more dominant dogs. Here, kibble is sometimes scattered haphazardly on the soiled concrete ground so dogs with food aggression issues targeted me. Linchi and I were too young and small (at first) and too gentle (as we aged) to properly defend ourselves. Adding to that, we were not yet spayed at the time, and no one wanted more puppies underfoot. 
The WSK caretakers thought it safer and healthier for us to stay in a cage, as so many of us do. And because there are hundreds and hundreds of us and never enough time for us all, this cage became our tiny, cramped jail. 

We lived in here 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except on the very rare occasion when one of the handful of WSK volunteers had a spare second free to take one of us out for a momentary cuddle…

…but then we had to return to our "prison" when it was time for them to go home again.
As if life wasn't sad enough, my sister Linchi - always weaker than I in body - contracted a high fever. She fought valiantly, but in the end, she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. And my broken heart had to tolerate the additional sorrow of enduring my prison alone without her.

I am in this same cage still.
Even during the infrequent times when I am given a chance to exercise in the "safe" area for puppies in the upstairs portion of the shelter, I am behind bars. And that area, while a vast improvement over my cage, is sadly not much bigger than my everyday space. So there again, I can't do much but be by myself and watch the second floor world go by through chain link, for the brief and rare moments I am there.

Is a lonely life in a cage all that lies ahead of me until the end of my days?

The volunteers here love me and hope someone will find it in their hearts to take me home. Can one of you show me what a real life is like, with comfort, love, and a security I have never known?
Thank you for reading my story.
Love, Lamyai

For more information about adopting Lamyai - or any of our available dogs - please contact Dawn Trimmel at (414) 426-4148. Thank you!

* * * * * 

I live at the the WSK Dog Condo.

Located in south-central Thailand, Wat Suan Kaew (WSK) translates into the Glass Garden Temple. The thing is, nobody calls it that anymore - they just call it "Thailand's dog condo". And the temple is no longer renowned for its good works, as it once was - but instead is regarded as a place to dump unwanted dogs and cats.

For us Westerners, the word 'condo' conjures up images of a condominium: a beautiful, high-end building resembling an apartment - except units are owned, not rented, and lovingly tended to. However, the only resemblance the dog condo bears to the real thing is the way its residents live stacked in vertical columns. The 'condo units' are just the small, and often rusty, cages in which many of WSK's dog and cat inhabitants tragically live their whole lives.

Because of massive overcrowding at WSK, many cages are also suspended precariously on the second floor, some near windows or large openings. Dogs and cats have even fallen to their deaths.

To get a better understanding of WSK's problems, and suggestions as to how you can help (from anywhere around the world), please have a look at the Soi Dog Foundation's informational post here. 

Luckily many concerned and compassionate groups such as the SPCA International and the Soi Dog Foundation have stepped up to the plate recently to try to help the two elderly caretakers who shoulder this entire burden and to try to improve this situation as much as possible.

Our dear ISDF friend and doggie hero Soot Liang Woo has tirelessly dedicated herself to improving the living conditions for WSK's residents.

She was able to solicit fencing and assemble them on the property so the dogs can have areas to run freely in. 

She procured food bowls and long tray-style feeders for WSK residents so they no longer have to eat off the floor, where food regularly used to mix with animal feces and urine. 

She built a medical area called "The Pink Clinic" so animals can now receive veterinary care in a sterile environment. 

She and fellow friends built a wooden plank bridge over a stagnant pond of muck and algae to allow the dogs clean, safe passage out of the dog condo to an adjacent play area in a field. 

She brought in the government livestock department to spay and neuter over 250 WSK residents who were intact and breeding. 

Soot and friends, with funding and assistance from the Soi Dog Foundation, built a large, lovely cat enclosure to allow them to roam and play freely and safely, and to socialize with one another. 

Soot has also been working diligently to try to find homes for the neediest of the dogs at WSK. Already, she has placed several of these lovely little friends with forever families around the world, and she hopes to find even more homes for them in future.
Here is Oliver, one of Soot's recent placements, as he journeyed from neglected, blind, vulnerable, isolated, depressed WSK resident...to the USA where he now lives with his loving new mom, Heidi, and his adopted sister, sweet Lilly, a paralyzed victim of the illegal dog meat trade.

For information on how to adopt a pet from the WSK "dog condo" of Thailand, please have a look at this informational post here or contact the appropriate representative by region. They can answer any questions you have and help you begin the process of adding a very grateful dog or cat to your home!
Adoption of WSK dogs in Thailand are coordinated by Soot Liang Woo at tontopepper@yahoo.com.sg
In the UK, please contact Carly Jane Evans with International Pet Rescue at carlyjane45@gmail.com
In the USA, please contact Marjon Tondravi (East Coast) with Give a Dog a Bone at tondravi@yahoo.com or Dawn Trimmel (Midwest USA) with International Street Dog Foundation at trimmel@usa.net

Thank you for caring!