Daisy's puppies

Hello friends!

Look at these little fellas. Aren't they adorable? They were born right here at the centre. Everyone's jaws dropped because no one knew the mother (called Daisy) was pregnant. She was brought in for sterilisation by her carer - who also didn't know - and suddenly one morning she had become the proud mother of these three lovely fluffballs! Daisy is such a small dog herself with very slender limbs and body and she was showing no signs of being just about to whelp so it escaped even the vets' attention.

Daisy is the best mummy any puppy could wish for. She's very loving and protective and pays attention to every need of the little ones. If one falls off the bed or crawls too far away she makes sure she picks it up gently and returns it to its place. She loves being taken out for walks by the volunteers but is equally keen to return to her kennel so she can look after her babies.

Everyone's biggest worry is whether or not the puppies will survive. Being so small and frail it is always risky to keep them in an environment where they are exposed to disease. Their immune systems are not developed to resist the various bacteria in the air so they are constantly at risk.

The carer has agreed to take home the whole family once Daisy has been sterilised. As wonderful as it is to witness such a miracle right here on our doorstep we don't want Daisy to have to litter again. Every puppy born adds to an already critical dog population in Goa and unless they are sterilised in a few months they will go on to breed even more puppies without a home.

I just wish I was allowed in the kennels so I could spend some time around the pups. I love little puppies and when volunteers take some of them out to play I always tag along to see what they all get up to and join in the fun.

I'll be in touch again soon!

Lots of love

Rodney, Blackie and Toffee

Hello everybody!

Before Christmas I told you about all the lovely puppies that we have at the centre for adoption. We’ve seen an increase in adoptions during the past three months and it's wonderful to know that so many abandoned pups get a second chance in a new home.

Today I want to tell you about Rodney, Blackie and Toffee. They are also waiting for a loving new home but their situation is slightly different: they are adult dogs aged between one and four years. They have been abandoned by their previous owners and unfortunately IAR have no details of these people. To think that some one would just leave their dog to fend for itself when it has never known life on the streets before is just heartbreaking!

Every year - especially at the end of the tourist season - we see several cases like this. Many tourists come and stay in Goa for several months at a time during which they pick up a puppy and bring it home and make it their pet during their holiday. When they leave India they may have been unable to find a new home for the dog, they may have realised that they couldn't afford to bring it back to Europe with them after all, or they may just assume that the dog can go from being domesticated to living on the streets without a problem and leave it somewhere at the mercy of other dogs occupying that territory. These dogs often end up at the centre and are put up for adoption.

Rodney is a male local breed dog. You may remember him from my earlier newsletter. He is approximately two years old and was admitted to International Animal Rescue in September following a bad road accident in which he fractured both a front and a hind leg. He has successfully undergone extensive orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation and is now back to being a healthy and active dog. Rodney is friendly and very active and loves to play with the volunteers.

Toffee is a male local breed dog of around three or fours years of age. He was brought to the International Animal Rescue shelter from Anjuna in October with a hip injury.

He has recovered well but can't be released because he had strayed into unfamiliar territory and no records exist about his original location.

Toffee is a very affectionate and gentle dog and he loves to receive cuddles and treats.

Blackie is also from Anjuna and is currently receiving treatment for a maggot wound on his shoulder and neck.

He is a male mix breed dog and was brought from Anjuna on 15 December 2008. He is a friendly and playful dog and a real family pet.

If nobody comes to adopt Rodney, Blackie and Toffee there may still be hope in sight. Many of our permanent centre dogs have similar stories to tell of how people who once cared for them suddenly abandoned them. We're keeping our fingers crossed that they find loving new homes though.

Bye for now!

All about Khali

Dear friends

Hope you have all recovered after the Christmas and New Year festivities. I am pleased to say that all my friends and volunteers have made sure that all the dogs at the centre have had a share in the joys of the festive season. We've been spoilt with treats and goodies! Lots of volunteers bring out gifts for the centre and all the animals and especially the puppies love to play with rubber chews and choo sticks. If you're planning a trip to Goa and a visit to the centre please remember to check out the needs list on our website. It's packed with ideas of stuff to bring out.

Today I want to tell you about Khali. She was brought to the centre with two of her friends for sterilisation from Vagator Beach where she was roaming with her pack. She was looked after by one of the local shacks and the people there were only too happy not to have to worry about her having litters of puppies.

All seemed to be well with Khali and she was returned to the beach after her operation but sadly she fell very ill just two weeks after being returned. Two dedicated IAR volunteers who had followed Khali's progress ever since she was brought to the centre the first time made sure she was admitted for treatment but things didn't look too good for Khali. She was diagnosed with distemper and put in quarantine. Distemper is a killer virus among dogs in Goa and once they catch it their chances are slim. Khali however wasn't going to give up and her determination to survive combined with the efforts of IAR staff and volunteers helped her to recover and she was returned to the beach. The IAR volunteers continued the treatment of her for two weeks after she was returned and today she is a happy and healthy dog once again.

Khali's caretakers have followed Khali's progress and have seen first hand the difference International Animal Rescue can make to a dog's life and since their experience with Khali they have recognised the need for dogs to be sterilised and treated if they're sick. With every local resident in Goa who gives their support to International Animal Rescue we get one step closer to solving the stray dog problem in Goa.

Lots of love

Happy New Year and welcome to 2009!

This year I'll be turning four which makes me nearly 30 years old in human years. Unlike most humans though, we dogs don’t tend to get too depressed about getting older. As long as we have food in our tummies, a roof over our heads, friends to play with and kindness and affection from the people around us we’re happy, regardless of age.

I want you to meet Sophie. Sophie is actually one of our old patients. She was brought in by the drivers in the monsoon with bad injuries and a broken leg following a road accident. She was barely more than a pup and naturally the experience had left her quite traumatised. Her leg was mended and she was sterilised and vaccinated but the recovery time was long owing to the extent of her injuries. One of our volunteers, Jenny, fell in love with Sophie and spent a lot of time with her, giving her lots of love and reassurance to make sure her time as a patient at IAR was as happy as it could be. Jenny gained Sophie's trust and they soon became pretty much inseparable. I still recall the anxious cries of Sophie when Jenny would leave her and her joyful howls when she returned the next day!

Jenny lives in Goa permanently and has been coming to help at the centre for more than a year now. She has cats at home but her love for Sophie was so strong that she decided to adopt her and see if she could make it work. Luckily the cats soon got used to having Sophie around and today Sophie is a happy and healthy member of Jenny’s family. She has recovered from her injuries and lives a life most dogs in Goa only get to dream of.

Sophie is definitely living happily ever after!

Lots of love.

My friend Boris

Hello hello!

Can you believe it's Christmas already? Time just flies and before you know it another year has gone by. We are bracing ourselves for a challenging year in 2009. I hear everyone talk about global financial trouble, terrorist threats in India scaring tourists off and I fear this means that we won't see as many new faces at the centre as we're used to and that makes me really sad.

I have my own personal challenge to face with my 'friend' Boris. Boris was abandoned outside the gates of International Animal Rescue in August and was admitted to be sterilised and then put up for adoption. He was in the kennels for ages and gained the sympathy of all the volunteers so when no one had adopted him after a while they convinced the staff to make him a centre dog. That's where the challenge started as far as I'm concerned! Boris very quickly decided that he wanted to be the leader of the pack around here and subsequently he gave the rest of us loads of grief. Sometimes he’d even attack us for no apparent reason! I tried to put him in his place a couple of times but with no back up from the others I soon had to realise that he's much stronger than me and back down. Even Tina, who normally is the last one to approve of a new arrival – if indeed she ever does! – has accepted him and has sometimes even been seen succumbing to his verbal warnings for her to back off.

Three months on and we've all come to accept that Boris isn't going to give up on his claim to the top position in the hierarchy and I must admit that he seems to have mellowed a bit. He can be quite fun sometimes actually because he's very clever and knows lots of tricks on how to chase stray cattle or monkeys for a thrill! He climbs up on the surgery roof and cuts off the path of the monkeys and it's so much fun to watch the monkeys trying to escape his attention so they can get through. He's too smart for them though. These little games have us all up and running and we have a great time. I guess what I’m trying to say here is that although Boris can be a bit of a handful to deal with at times, he’s also livened things up a bit around here, which I guess isn't such a bad thing.

I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. I look forward to staying in touch with you all in 2009!

Bye for now!

Puppy love at Christmas

Hi there!

Well, Christmas is drawing near and as always this is a busy time for all at the centre in Assagao.

We have lots of volunteers who come up to walk the dogs, care for the puppies and play with us. We currently have three girls working in our puppy section making sure they are all treated for worms, fleas and ticks and to pamper them to make their stay at the centre a fun and comfortable one. They also help the people who come to adopt the puppies to make sure they pick the right puppy. The pups all have different personalities and some people want a lively and naughty one and others want a gentle and loving one.

All the puppies adopted from the centre are sterilised and vaccinated free of charge by IAR and they also get free treatment for a year if they fall sick. After all, we want to make sure the little ones have as good a life as possible once they leave the centre so we need to support the new owners. We also want to encourage local people to adopt a local breed dog and save a life, rather than seek out breeders who charge a bomb for a pedigree pup that will continue to cost the owner a lot of money in special care. After all, we local breed dogs are sturdy and used to the Indian climate. We're not fussy about what we eat and we rarely fall sick. We are very loyal and excellent guard dogs so there is absolutely no excuse not to pick one of us!

I feel so lucky to have been saved by the people at the centre because heaven knows what fate would have been in store for me had I not been rescued. It sends chills down my spine just thinking about it. What's worse is that I am but one of the lucky ones. Far too many pups are abandoned to fend for themselves, few of which survive, so naturally it warms all of our hearts when a puppy finds a loving home.

Oh look, the bone man just arrived! That means we all get a bone to chew but only if we get there before he runs out so I’d better run over and make sure I get mine!

Will be in touch again soon!

Goodbye Sandy and Sfinx!

Hello hello!

I’m just so excited about sharing my news with you today. As you know I’m just one dog in a big family of dogs who live at the centre in Goa. We were all rescued either as pups or as adult dogs and because we had nowhere to go or couldn’t fend for ourselves owing to injuries or other ailments the staff here in Assagao decided to take us under their wing and give us a second chance. All we have to do in return for food, shelter and lots of cuddles and treats is to protect the centre from intruders and make sure we meet and greet all our visitors with lots of enthusiasm.

Sometimes a visitor will fall in love with one of us centre dogs and offer to take us home. Although life as a centre dog is great, the prospect of going to a loving home to be someone’s pet is very special. The staff are very protective of us because we are part of the family here, so they always make sure that the new home is a good and loving one. On one hand it is a happy occasion when one of us gets selected for adoption, but on the other we are also a bit sad to see a good friend go. Recently we said goodbye to not just one but two of our centre dog buddies - Sandy and Sfinx.

Sandy had been rescued by an English lady as a small puppy and she had kept her until she left to go back to England. The lady promised to come back for Sandy and she went to a temporary home in the meantime. Sadly, the former owner never returned for Sandy and she ended up back at the centre when her foster home couldn’t keep her any longer. She had survived the parvo virus twice, as well as overcome the mental trauma of being abandoned and so she became a centre dog because she deserved some happiness and peace in her life.

Sfinx was admitted at the centre as a small puppy and instantly captured the heart of Israeli volunteer Gal who spent every day at the centre making sure that all puppies received 5-star treatment. Gal was distraught to see Sfinx grow bigger and bigger with no one turning up to adopt her and she was concerned what her fate would be once she went home to Israel. She asked staff about the possibility of making Sfinx a centre dog but because she was so young it all boiled down to whether or not Sfinx could stand up to the much older and bigger centre dogs. Luckily Sfinx turned out to have the right combination of tough cookie and a gentle nature to make her able to get on with the others just fine.

Sandy and Sfinx struck up an instant friendship and became virtually inseparable. The played together, slept together and stuck up for each other. Now I have to admit that I thought they were a bit too much and I didn’t particularly get on with them because their friendship got on my nerves and they never allowed me to play with them, but nevertheless it was good to see them settle in so well.

One day it looked like the perfect friendship was about to be broken: a lady in Assagao had asked if she could adopt Sandy. She was alone in a big house and wanted a dog for company and protection. Luckily staff recognised that breaking Sandy and Sfinx up would be heartless so they had a word with the lady who agreed to take both of them. So the story saw a happy ending for all parties and since Sandy’s and Sfinx’s departure the centre dog group have welcomed Boris, Stella and Stevie into the gang. There is a limit to how many dogs the centre can support so, whilst it’s always a bit sad for everyone to say goodbye to our friends, it’s great to know that with each one finding a new home a space opens to give another abandoned dog a second chance.

As for me, some one has to stay around and keep the rest in order! Must dash, bye for now...