Babe (Adopted!)

• *** UPDATE!! ***
• 
  
• November 2014

Babe left Elfes World on the island of Koh Samui early last week, flying to Bangkok with travel companions Busy (still looking for a loving home), Rocket, and another small friend, Lee Lee (being adopted in Europe). 

All four dogs enjoyed four-star accommodations with lovely Bangkok foster mom Christine Sudmann, while sweet Soot Liang Woo made travel arrangements and completed all their paperwork to fly to the USA. 

Babe, Busy, and Rocket arrived at O'Hare Airport on Friday, November 14, where they were greeted by Dawn and Chuck.

Babe had a grand time playing at Dawn and Chuck's house overnight!

The following day, on Saturday, November 15, Babe went into an AMAZING home with the lovely Baruch family in the Chicagoland area, and new doggie sibling, Nacho! They came to our Petsmart adoption event to claim Babe.

Mom reports that Babe's biggest dilemma these days is which bed or sofa to lounge on…!

Babe is truly in Kansas, now!

"There's no place like home…there's no place like home…"

Thank you to all who made this possible, from Elfe and her supporters for saving this dear girl from the dog meat trade; to international supporters of Elfes World and ISDF for donating towards Babe's flight fund; to the Baruch family for welcoming dear Babe into their hearts and home with open arms.

* * * * *

My name is Babe.

Two and a half years ago, through a few magical twists and turns of fate, I was plucked from the illegal dog meat trade, and my life miraculously spared.

I was only a few months old, really just a baby - a sweet, adorable, and friendly baby - when I was snatched from the streets and endured a real live Hell on Earth.

But those bad memories are behind me now, and I don't waste too much time remembering what once was. Instead, I've been dreaming about the future. 

It's not that life here at Elfesworld isn't wonderful - I know I am one of the luckiest dogs on earth! 

But there are almost 600 of us living here. So although I work hard to get as much attention as possible (visitors to Elfesworld can attest to my persistently-affectionate nature - ha ha ha), it's not the same as this fairy tale thing I keep hearing about. 

This thing is called a Home. Where supposedly you are the only dog, or one of just a few. And where a handful of people in this so-called Home are not just kind-hearted visitors - but Your Humans. Your People. Your Family.

I am a sweetheart of a girl, and all grown-up now at three years old, though I will always be on the small side - I weigh in at just 10 kg (22 lbs).

I was just 6 months old in March of 2012 when I arrived here at Elfesworld. That was after all the Bad Things that I mentioned above had happened to me, and after I had spent time in a government livestock center after my rescue. Plus, I had to be flown to the big city of Bangkok for medical care and quarantine…

...and then I had to fly again, here to Elfesworld, so by the time all that happened, I had added a few months to my life - and a LOT of wisdom, courtesy of the somewhat-tough dogs at the big shelter where all of us meat trade victims got sent.

But life is good now. 

So I feel like I'm greedy to dream that there might be something even better out there…

But I am one of the most popular pups at Elfesworld. My mom, Elfe, and her many visitors, all consistently describe me as sweet, smart, cheeky (ha ha, I don't know why they say THAT!), adorable, and an affectionate cuddler with silky fur that invites petting. They even say I am like an honorary ambassador to Elfesworld - because the moment I spot visitors, I am bounding over to seek out some petting and love!

Here is Dawn and I in September 2013...

But she's not the ONLY new friend I've made over the past two and a half years! Ha ha ha

I am a sporty girl who is very active. 

I love other dogs but I am too big for my britches sometimes, as I like to play and tumble and tug all day. 

   

I don't know why, but older dogs and crabby dogs sometimes get annoyed with me. Don't they know that life is all about fun, fun, fun?? I am trying to convince them that any time is Play Time! But it's definitely an uphill battle with some of these sourpusses…

My favorite thing in life is to be outside - smelling the air, running with the ground flying below my feet, exploring the land, and playing with anything I come across. Even a coconut is fair game! 

I can make a good time out of anything - I'm always up for fun!

What do you think? 

Do you love life, too?

I sure do hope so…and even more, I hope you might want me to share it with you. Now THAT would be a grand adventure! 

Let's start one today…together.

Love, Babe

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

* * * * *

 I am a victim of the dog meat trade.

I grew up on the streets of Thailand, in a "survival of the fittest" climate, where I had to fend for food and avoid many dangers. 

One day, some men approached me while I slept and tossed a wire lasso over my head. As I awoke, struggling and snapping with fear, they used a long stick with crude pincers attached to the end of it to lift me and then dump me into a truck.

Lots of other terrified dogs were in the truck alongside me. We were driven into a dense jungle-like area, away from main roads and towns. Tropical trees provided cover as the same horrid men used the wire lassos and pincers on us again, this time to grab us and drop us into a pit. We fell through the air for a terrifying moment, then landed on a hard concrete floor. Some of us were injured in the fall; all of us were terrorized.

The pit cover was replaced once we were all inside it, and hardly any light penetrated from above. There was no food or water in our hot, dark, claustrophobic jail, and nowhere to escape. But we didn't fight one another or really do much of anything other than freeze with fear - we were all too traumatized.

Over the next couple of days, the pit cover opened a few times, light blinded us from above, and more dogs were dropped in amongst us until the men apparently decided that they had enough of us to satisfy their greed and justify an legal smuggling run across the border.

 One day, there was the sound of the pit cover opening again, and as we all blinked, blinded once again by the light, expecting more dogs to drop down amongst us, the long pincer stick returned instead. We were grabbed around the neck once more, and then shoved into a new form of torture - a compact "crush cage" - with many other dogs. 

The cages were set on end and we were dropped in and shoved and packed like sardines until limbs and tails emerged from between the wire bars and we were nearly suffocating from such close quarters. None of us could move more than literally one inch in any direction. 

Then our crush cages were piled high onto the flatbed of a truck, with more and more cages on top of, and around the sides of, ours. Many of us lost limbs and tails in crushing injuries as the staggering weight stacked higher and higher.

In order to conceal us - live contraband intended for smuggling cross-country and over two border crossings - a heavy, non-breathable tarp was thrown over the entire truck's cargo, cutting off even our access to fresh air - the last resource we had.

We sat on that truck for a long time. I was so dazed and disoriented that it could have been hours or it could have been days - I really can't say for sure. I guess they were waiting for an all clear signal from they boss. They drank water noisily from bottles as they laughed and joked near our truck and we watched them with desperate eyes because of course, during this time, we had been under terrible stress and had not had food or water for a dangerously-long period of time. 

I was certain that the end must be near - I was sure I would suffocate from the heat, from this extreme overcrowding, and from the long stretch of time that slowly ticked by. Indeed, many dogs around me perished.

It was evening, as dusk fell, when our truck finally rumbled to life and attempted to make a run northward for the border. The smugglers were headed for Vietnam, by way of Laos. But near the river's edge which separated Thailand from Laos, where we would have once again been thrown about like so much live garbage - this time into overcrowded smuggling boats - new sounds reached deep into our desolate quarters, inspiring fresh apprehension to those of us still alive and still conscious.

Voices - angry and commanding - fell upon our ears.  We were frightened, but not for long. Much to my surprise, we were rescued that day, and I owe my life to the caring individuals and government officials who came together to save us all from yet more suffering in an extended transport, and eventual slow torture and death, to be someone's adrenaline-infused meal (which some cultures consider good for one's health and virility). 

I am forever grateful to our saviors. A few of the Royal Police even cracked open water bottles and tried their best to proffer sips to those of us in cages with access to bars facing them. But there was too little water and too many dogs. And anyway, it would be a long while before we could even be released from our terrifying confines.

We were slowly transported another long distance, still in those horrible crush cages, still packed like sardines - it seemed to take forever. I was in so much pain and filled with claustrophobic terror - what next??

We ended up at the Buriram government-run shelter, one of several large livestock centers in the Thai nation. There, our cages were unloaded with the use of cranes, hoists and manpower. One by one, our cage wires were cut and we literally had to be unpacked and unfolded from the positions we had been held prisoner in for so many long and torturous days.

Next, those of us who could stand and move still were herded into a large dog kennel. To be able to move freely again, and to have access to large vats of water and a long trough with food, was nothing short of miraculous, after all I had endured.

But although my life was marginally-improved now that I'd been "saved", we all still suffered - this time from widespread disease and massive overcrowding. Food was scarce; we lived practically one on top of the other; dog fights were frequent and often vicious; and there was little to no medical attention available. Once again, I was surrounded by terrible suffering and watched as many fellow dogs died around me at a rapid rate.

A long, frightening, sad period of my life passed here. I wondered if my whole life would play out behind these bars, and I shivered with fear to imagine such a fate.

But somehow, through some magical stroke of fate, Lady Luck intervened on my behalf. Someone, somewhere, saw my photo, looked into my eyes, and knew that they could not leave me behind. 

I was brought to Bangkok for veterinary care and then flown to the beautiful island of Koh Samui, to Elfesworld, a dog sanctuary.

When I arrived here 2 and a half years ago, for the first time in my strife-filled life, I saw the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Here at Elfesworld, I am shown kindness and affection; I have learned confidence and am polishing my manners; and I have discovered the meaning of safety and love.
It has been a glimpse into a life I never even knew existed: lives where dogs might never know fear again. 

It's a life I so desperately want now…but one which will be brand-new to me and often confusing. I have so much to learn about life as a pet dog in a real household.  I know I can do it - I've made it this far already! - but please, won't you gently show me the ropes, and have patience with me when I make missteps sometimes, as I surely will? 

In return, I will repay you a thousandfold.

I just need a fair chance at a life I could only dream of when I was that terrified dog, crammed into a crate, baking alive in the tropical heat, who had given up all hope.

Thank you for reading my story.

Love, Babe

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!