Great News! Bonnie is officially home!
Bonnie has been adopted by Kristen Elliot and Jaime Pricket of Madison, WI. They are second time foster failures! Yay! They adopted Jimmy earlier this year (after a foster failure) and now they have decided to make it official and adopt Bonnie. I have to say I was ecstatic when I heard the news as Bonnie was the perfect fit to their little family. Her brother Jimmy and her have become inseparable and love to run and play each day. Besides Kristen’s parents are named Bonnie and Jimmy so I kind of think it was destined to end this way…;)
Bonnie is much loved in her new home and I am thrilled that she has found her way into such a loving home. Thank you to Meredith Allen, Preeti, Aarti Bhardwaj, and Sonia Heller for helping Bonnie along the way – see rescue story below. It is truly miraculous what is possible when people come together and work towards a cause together.
Most importantly thank you to Kristen and Jaime for opening their hearts and home to this sweet little girl.
#ISDF #ISavedALife #DesiDogsRule #AdoptDontShop
Rescue Story
Our dear ISDF rescue friend in New Delhi, Isobel Grant, was contacted by her friend Preeti on Tuesday, October 6. Preeti had come across a vulnerable puppy on the ground floor of her building.
She did not know where this pup had come from, since her the colony dogs Preeti cares for are all spayed and neutered. She suspected that children from the school opposite her building might have happened upon Bonnie, picked her up with interest initially, but then abandoned her later. Bonnie was actually at the school gate when found. A search was carried out in hopes of reuniting Bonnie with her mother – but none turned up.
Meanwhile, Bonnie began playing with Preeti’s colony of street dogs. She seemed sweet and fairly socialized to larger dogs, so the decision was made to leave her where she was, in hopes that she might adjust and eventually integrate fully into Preeti’s street dog colony. Unfortunately, this was not meant to be.
On Friday, October 9, something must have happened overnight. Preeti woke Saturday morning, only to discover wee Bonnie in poor shape. She was trembling, whimpering, and acting terrified. She had a badly swollen lip which had presumably been bitten.
At this point, it would be easy to question the decision to leave a baby on the street like that, among a colony of dogs, many of them adult, and some of whom could easily pose a danger to a naive pup.
However, the street dog situation in New Delhi is overwhelming and beyond the imagination of many of us Westerners. From the viewpoint of our American armchairs, we would probably have the luxury of delivering her to safety – either bringing her into our home temporarily, or taking her to an animal shelter or pet rescue where she would hopefully be adopted shortly thereafter. But in context of New Delhi – in a city with tens of thousands of street dogs roaming the city, all in desperate need of limited resources; where shelters and refuges can be nonexistent, or corrupt, or can be a dead end for a dog and not the start of a new beginning at all; where there are not only NOT enough for homes for them all, but homes for very few; and where one can be paralyzed by the sight of dogs in need around every corner, far too many to ever be able to imagine or dream of helping them all – the decision makes perfect sense.
In a colony, at least for as long as someone commits to feeding and caring for them, a street dog is as safe as she might ever be. There is some security – veterinary care will be sought in case of serious injury; food and vaccinations and sterilization will be provided, reducing fights over resources and hormonally-charged interactions; and regular, nutritious meals and better overall health are possible.
Had Bonnie integrated well, she would have ended up one of the luckiest street dogs of New Delhi. As it was, however – by not successfully integrating – and also due to her tender age and adoptability – she is now even luckier than the luckiest STREET dog – because she is on her way to the USA now to be placed in a forever home as a HOUSE dog. Such was the wild trajectory Bonnie’s life launched upon, starting with that swollen lip…
Isobel went to Preeti’s neighborhood, found Bonnie, and sought veterinary care for her injuries. Afterwards, Bonnie went to stay with ISDF friend Arti Bhardwaj, of Happy Paws Medical Boarding Center. Arti put up lucky Bonnie at her flat, where the pup recovered with good food, medical attention, and lots of TLC from Arti and her kind family.
On Monday, October 19, Bonnie was transferred to the Heller’s farm in the countryside, where ISDF rescue friend Sonia and her family provide fabulous and loving foster care for many former New Delhi street dog rescues. Bonnie has been thriving there ever since.
Sonia’s farm is a haven for the dogs, and Bonnie has been very lucky to enjoy her days there, playing with other rescues who await homes and families to call their own. But now it is Bonnie’s time to shine!
Bonnie is outgoing, curious in the world around her, and incredibly affectionate with humans. She loves to be outside and enjoys playing with her toys and other dogs. Bonnie has great house manners and is fully potty trained. She is also current on vaccinations and micro-chipped. Bonnie is going to make her future loving family very lucky indeed!
If you are interested in adopting Bonnie please contact Dawn Trimmel at 414-426-4148.