My name is Ladlee.
And my name is Sheelu.
We are two small sisters, just six months old and weighing around 24 lbs apiece – and already, we are the lone survivors of our family. Stick around, and we’ll tell you the whole sad tale. It’s the best kind of sad story though – the kind with a happy ending that is even now being written…
Volunteer Isobel – one of a dedicated animal rescue team in New Delhi that ISDF works with – received an urgent call one evening in late summer of last year. Isobel and other kind-hearted locals had been helping to provide food for our large dog colony. They had been especially attentive of our little family, as our young mom had been trying desperately to care for all five of us newborns. The caller was one of the locals and she delivered devastating news: our mother had tragically been killed a couple of days before, probably by a speeding car. And ironically, this most likely happened because she was out scavenging for scraps to nourish herself so she could in turn keep us alive. We were so tiny and helpless that we urgently required nighttime warming and constant feedings. Two well-intentioned local men had taken pity on us in the meantime. In an attempt to save us, they had been giving us ordinary cow’s milk. Unfortunately, this had done more harm than good as we required formula – and the men had realized their mistake all too late, after we became very sickly and one of us died.
Wonderful animal hero Arti Bhardwaj rushed to the scene and gathered us four tiny remaining survivors. She brought us back to Happy Paws, where she runs an amazing facility for medical boarding and dog rescues. Our survival seemed far from guaranteed at first. We four were so very ill – we were nearly lifeless. Arti nurtured us lovingly and administered the many medications prescribed by the vet if we were to have any chance of survival. She fed us constantly and helped support our recuperation in every way possible. Still, she watched in tears as first one of our siblings, and then another, succumbed. She had given them every possible fighting chance and they had fought valiantly, but they were both too small and too weak to carry on.
But baby step by baby step – and against incredible odds – we two sisters somehow pulled through. And then, much to everyone’s amazed joy, we did more than just survive. We began to THRIVE. Soon we were bundles of happy energy – playful, and with good appetites. We were growing steadily now and socializing beautifully. To see us today, you would never know what incredible odds we have both beaten – we are a testimony to the power of loving kindness.
For some time now, we have both been fostered here at the lovely farm home of Sonia and Dieter, volunteers who care for so many of us on our way to our future forevers. Ladlee says, “I got to come here first, since I recovered more quickly than Sheelu. I missed her so much, but I had a blast hanging out with my little buddy Pepper (who has already traveled to the USA, where he found a lovely home with a human sister who was also adopted from India!) until he left. And right after he left to fly away, my sister Sheelu came and we were reunited. Hooray! Here are me and Pepper kicking up our heels together – what fun!”
Oh boy! These are baby photos of us at Happy Tails!
“And now here I am in early December!”
“Here I am – me again!! – in mid-January!”
Love, Ladlee and Sheelu
For more information about fostering or adopting Sheelu or Ladlee, please contact Dawn Trimmel at (414) 426-4148.
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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!