Shy

My name is Shy. 

What a journey it has been for me! 

And I still have many miles ahead to put down…

But let me begin at the beginning.

I was just another scruffy, wary stray born to the streets of northern Thailand, eking out a meager existence, when I was caught unawares by dog meat trade smugglers late one night as I was sleeping. 

The wire noose shocked me awake and I was dragged, suffocating, to a nearby truck. The noose lifted me into the air by my throat and I was violently tossed into the truck bed amidst several dozen other poor creatures like myself, all of us huddling in fear to try to make ourselves as small as possible, and all of us whimpering in abject terror.

For several days our suffering increased exponentially, as each step along the barbaric meat trade only became more cruel.

I will spare you all the gory details. 

The long and short of my sad tale is that I was one of the lucky few. The stars aligned and a police officer suspected something fishy about the final truck I rode in on my terrible journey. He ordered our driver to stop and get out, and then he lifted the heavy tarpaulin that sheltered us all from view.

He took one look at hundreds of us poor souls, crammed so tightly into squeeze cages we could barely breathe, and immediately called in more authorities.

We remained as we were, however, for nearly another long day - our truck simply changed direction, and instead carried us to the nearest government livestock center, Nakhon Phanom.

Once there, authorities and workers toiled as quickly as possible, though it was many more agonizing hours before at last I was unleashed from my misery. But there were so many of us, and quite a few requiring urgent medical attention, that they could not rush the job. Each crate was unloaded, one by one, from the truck bed - and each had to be unpacked carefully, as there were sometimes up to ten of us or even more crammed into each small wire prison. 

Many, I am sorry to say, perished before we even reached our destination. The ones who died between being rescued and arriving at the livestock center were the most tragic victims of all, for they never got to see "the other side", as we all call it here.

I spent many long days in quarantine with my fellow rescued friends, and then we joined the general population at the shelter. If I thought I was overwhelmed before, I went into near total shutdown here. 

There were more than a thousand of us, and every day, just surviving the day itself was a small victory.

Here I am at Nakhon Phanom in March of 2013.

I had found some solace by clambering onto this narrow wall, where I was mostly safe from dog bites, fights, and the inevitable tension of so many of us packed into such small confines under great stress.

Having this photo taken was one of the most important events of my entire life. 

It was posted online, thanks to kind dog lovers working hard to find homes and sponsors for us, and myself and many others were viewed by hundreds if not thousands of dog lovers around the world.

Despite so many people admiring my dignified demeanor in the midst of such chaos, and despite so many people commenting on how they wished I would be saved, no one felt strongly enough about me to step up and adopt or sponsor me. My chances of surviving here much longer began to diminish. 

I am a small girl, weighing in at approximately 25 lbs NOW - after a year and a half of good nourishment at Elfesworld dog sanctuary. 

I was then so starved and so weak that I lacked the strength to fight for my portion of allotted food. I ate when I could, but it was not enough.

In April of 2013, Elfe - decided that - sponsor or no - she was going to save my life. 

She had me pulled from the shelter when some other (sponsored) dogs were also taken out. It was early April, one month after the photo above was taken.

Together, we all traveled a long distance by truck to a veterinary clinic where we boarded for medical treatment, sterilization, vaccination, and quarantine. 

On April 25, we flew to Elfesworld. Here I am just after my arrival.

In the days afterward, Elfe took some photos of me - but always from a distance. 

I did not even want to look at her! 

I sensed her kindness and her quiet and gentle spirit, but even then - I had been so traumatized at the hands of humans, I was afraid to even meet her gaze.

Here are a few more photos from my first few months at Elfesworld. 

Do you see me, at far left? 

Do you see how I liked to keep my distance, convinced that cruelty could always be just around the corner, waiting to take me by surprise as it did on the terrible day that I was captured for the dog meat market?

Every day, Elfe made a point of sitting just a little bit closer to me, or talking just a little bit louder when near me. She was determined to show me that humans were not all bad. 

Getting closer...

And even closer…!

I am so grateful that Elfe never gave up on me. I could have easily retreated into a shell-shocked anti-human state from which I might never have returned, but Elfe would not allow that to happen. Because of her, I am the sweet, friendly dog I am today!

But look at me then…she was still unable to touch me, though she could get quite close now.

September 1, 2013. 

This was a red-letter day for us! 

It was the first time I allowed Elfe to touch me. I was terrified but…her kind, gentle hand stroking me…I confess, it felt so lovely! 

Finally, Elfe had won me over. I would never again return to the place of terror I had so long occupied.

Look at me, now a few weeks later. I was even "smiling" at Mama Elfe!!

Whereas once, I had trembled in terror at the approach of any human…now, thanks to Elfe's persistent compassion, I gradually became a sweet, friendly, and sociable girl, dispensing kisses to visitors at the dog sanctuary, and learning to be more comfortable around other dogs.

 These days, I even sometimes join Elfe and a pack of other dogs as we take nighttime rambles on trails around her land.

By the time Dawn visited Elfesworld in the late fall of 2013, I was a changed girl. 

Here I am hanging out with Auntie Dawn!

I am a lovely girl and Elfe has sadly come to the conclusion that although she loves me dearly, her home is not the ideal place for me.

Although I share Elfe's bed with many other dogs at night and occasionally join her pack for long evening strolls, I was quite terrorized during my time at Nakhon Phanom livestock center, and it shows. Whenever I have the chance, I choose a chair or other "safe spot" in Elfe's home that I can have to myself. I am still a bit fearful about other dogs, so living at a sanctuary where there are over 400 of us is not the ideal home for me.

I will miss my dear Elfe so much...but I know why she is letting me go. I know in my heart that she is right, even though I'm scared to take the next step. 

I know I need a home of my very own if I am to complete my transformation and get the chance to really shine!

I am housebroken but must stay in Elfe's home all day, due to my anxiety around so many other dogs, so it is difficult for me to get out as often as I need to.

Most of all, though I am amazingly friendly with visitors to the shelter now, I am a work in progress. I will do best with a dedicated person or people who understand my shy side and are willing to work with me to calm my fears when they arise, and continue the socialization that Elfe has laid the groundwork for.

Unfortunately, in the environment I currently live in, there are just too many other dogs - too much noise and so much distraction - and not enough human time and energy - for me to really flourish and realize my potential. 

I would probably do best in a quiet home with adults only, or older kids. I have never been around cats but Elfe thinks I might do good with them. One or two other dogs - if they are very kind to me and have gentle dispositions - would probably be fine...but a home where I am the shining center spotlight of attention would suit me wonderfully, too!

I know I'll require some time, energy, and patience, but Mama Elfe is convinced that in the right hands, I am destined to be somebody's star. Won't you consider letting me be the one to light up your sky?

I'm worth it, I promise you that. I have so much love and loyalty to give. I hope I can give it all to you.

Love, Shy

For more information about adopting Shy - 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 Nakhon Phanom 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.

For the first time in my strife-filled life, I am seeing the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Here at Elfesworld dog sanctuary in Koh Samui, I am being shown kindness and affection; I am learning confidence and polishing my manners; and I am discovering the meaning of 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. 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, Shy

Thong

My name is Thong.

"Thong" (pronounced 'tong') means "Golden" in Thai - a description of not just my coat color, but also of my sweet nature.

Patarin found me wandering the streets of Bangkok on June 6 - the day my life changed.

I must have been somebody's pet as I was clearly socialized, groomed, and well-fed up until fairly recently before I was turned out to fend for myself. 

But when Patarin found me, I was lost and bewildered. No collar or tags, no identifying information. No microchip. No one was out looking for me.

Patarin kept me at her home these past two months and made many local enquiries but no one is even looking for me. 

Pat had me spayed and vaccinated. The vet says I am approximately one year old. 

I am no longer the tiny, cute puppy I once was when my former people first brought me home. I'm now a big, juvenile, 55-lbs and growing Rhodesian Ridgeback mix girl with a healthy and expensive appetite. 

I'm also basically a big puppy! I want to play and wrestle and mouth because I'm a happy baby who is getting to be a real puppy for the first time in my life! I will not be emotionally mature until I'm one and a half to two, since I am a giant breed.

I guess my former humans just grew tired of feeding, housing, and exercising me, and let me go. What they didn't know is that I am the perfect age to begin training. With love and guidance now to show me what is expected of me as a house dog, I will be the perfect pet for some lucky people out there!

I am already as sweet as can be. Patarin says I am a big doggie child. My heart is filled with love for anyone who shows me even the smallest kindness, and I attach quickly and want to be in on any action happening wherever I am. I clearly crave a human to call my very own, and when I find one, I will be their most loyal best friend for life.

I still wonder what happened to my former people, but the memory of their unkindness is fading fast.

Patarin has shown me an amazing new world as you can see here in her short video.

I live in her home, sleep on dog beds, and eat good food. I've never known a life like this. I even get to go swimming for exercise, and I'm a natural!

Life is truly "golden" now for this golden girl! 

I think I may be the luckiest street dog alive…

My heart is broken that my family didn't love me enough to keep me around, but Patarin tells me it was a stroke of luck as I am better off NOT living with anyone who isn't appreciative of a sweet girl like me.
I know she is right, but it's hard not to feel sad that I wasn't good enough to be somebody's one and only forever and ever.

Maybe YOU are the people I am truly destined to be with?

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

Delhi Puppies 3

*** UPDATE!! ***

May 2014
Leia and Cocoa left New Delhi on May 2 after saying tearful goodbyes to their foster moms, Anna Sundelius (Leia) and Ellen Brenoe (Cocoa). 



They arrived here into Chicago, USA safe, sound, and unfazed by their long journey. Dawn, Chuck, Ayize and I - along with ISDF friend and supporter Cristina Martinez and family - were on hand to greet them as they officially became American citizens!
Cristina's family will foster both pups initially and Dawn and Chuck will take one or both as a couple of their current puppies go out into pending adoptions later this week.

  
Leia and Cocoa have been living it up in their lovely foster home! And - luckily for us - foster mom Cristina is a professional photographer, and has been taking wonderful photos of the two pups as they acclimate to life as American house dogs. 
We have been enjoying the photos immensely!
Bathtime…

…and playtime!

They are adorable and affectionate sweethearts who have been well-socialized and adore the two young children of the household. We are currently seeking forever families for both of these dear girls, and hope it won't be long before they are home and starting happy endings of their very own.



Thank you to all who made this possible, from the Drs. Choudhary and their organization, Desi Furries Worldwide; to Poorvaja who watched over these sweet babies from the time they were born; to the Sundelius and Brenoe families who provided them both with loving foster homes in New Delhi until the time came for their flights to the USA; to Cristina's family and Chuck and Dawn for caring for them from the moment they arrived here in the USA.
We are so grateful to you all for everything you are doing for the street dogs of Delhi!

* * * * *

My name is Leia.

And my name is Cocoa.

We are two playful, sweet, 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 these 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.
Our mom is a typical Indian native dog type - small, smart, and always on the move seeking safety and shelter. 
Mom has called a park in New Delhi home for all of her life. Though she is wary of most humans, there are a handful of kind local people that she has learned to trust. They are neighborhood residents who care deeply for her and she is very fortunate in that she need never worry about where her next meal will come from - they provide her with both food and affection.

Mom dug a trench in the soil of the park she calls home, in a protected area where she could keep us safe. She stayed by our sides religiously, day after day, and we grew and thrived under her watchful eye and the protection of the locals who care for our mom.
Once we were weaned and became more independent, we went to the home of kind local Poorvaja who cared for us until we were a little bit older and moved into other foster homes.



During this time, Mom was captured, spayed, and vaccinated. Once recovered, she returned to her home base in the park. Locals have promised to care for her and feed her as they always have and it is the life our mom would want. She is true desi dog, born and raised on the streets she calls home. But we know she was relieved that we will live very different lives - ones in which we will only ever know security, love, and comfort. 
We are so lucky and Mom knows it too so she let us go with her blessing, even though it made us all sad to say goodbye.

Two compassionate families took us into their homes for foster care a few weeks later once we were more active and mobile. 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…

This is me, Leia. 
I'm a girl, cute as a button, and smart to boot. I'm playful and wonderful with people.

My New Delhi foster families had this to say about me:

Anna - "Leia is a special puppy. She is very smart, quick learning, and friendly. She can already walk comfortably on a leash and she loves to play outside with/in water. From the beginning she only ate chicken, egg and milk but she slowly learned to eat Pedigree puppy food (she loves chai - Indian tea - probably as she was given this on the street, together with chapati, Indian bread). Leia right now is in our foster family with three children and she is doing very well. She sleeps independently all night and she is trained to do her needs on a newspaper. This special puppy going to be a great member in any family."

Ellen - "Leia is with us at the moment, i.e. with 3 other dogs (Indian Desi, Dachshund and her sister Cocoa) and she fits in very well. Leia is the shy one, she adjusts and respects the other dogs, she is extremely sweet to our old dachshund. She loves cuddles and she loves to be picked up and sit on our lap. Leia doesn’t bark a lot, only during play time."

And this is me, Cocoa.

I'm also a girl. I'm a clever, independent little explorer with lots of love to give.

My New Delhi foster family had this to say about me:

Ellen - "Cocoa is cheeky and full of fun. She is totally happy being with Shanti and Oliver, our other dogs. This week in Lodi garden she swam in the pond, so Cocoa too loves water. Cocoa eats well, sleeps all night on a pillow next to our bed, and is learning to go to the toilet outside (we are nearly there). If there’s an accident, it’s because we haven’t put her outside in time. Cocoa would do well with any age owner, we have two daughters whom she loves. Cocoa doesn’t bark, other than during play time. Cocoa walks with us for 2 kilometers and listens well. 

Both pups are respectful and sit before receiving their bowl of food, you can touch them while they are eating, they are at no point in time aggressive."

Our foster parents stayed in constant contact with 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 brief video demonstrates).

The Drs. Choudhary vaccinated and dewormed us. They were also the ones who spayed our Mom after we'd been weaned and placed in foster homes.

Here are a few more photos of us as we grew. This is me, Leia, in another baby photo. I am so grateful to the Sundelius family for caring for me and helping me grow into the sweetheart I am today.



And here I am when I was a bit older, playing in their yard.

And this is me, Cocoa, playing in my foster home's backyard in New Delhi too. I am so grateful to the Brenoe family for raising me up right and teaching me wonderful manners!

We are smart little girls and know the statistics were against us from the moment we drew our first breaths. Life as a desi dog on the streets of New Delhi is perilous at best and lethal at worst. 

If it wasn't for the dedication of our mom, who protected us from the very first - or the compassion of kind locals, who refused to view us as living garbage, as so many of our kind are - or the lovely foster families who opened their hearts and homes to us and nurtured us with love - we wouldn't even be here today to tell our stories.

We are two of the luckiest puppies in India, and we know it.

Do you think we can ask Lady Luck for just one more favor? 

Do you think we may be so bold as to dream that we will one day 'luck out' and find ourselves adopted into loving forever homes of our very own?
We're holding out hope.

Please consider helping us make our dreams come true.

Love,

Leia and Cocoa

For more information about adopting Leia, Cocoa - 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.

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!