My last trip to Nepal was the most difficult yet, both physically and emotionally. Constant power cuts in Kathmandu, strikes, demonstrations. Everything I buy is handmade, the singing bowls particularly take ages to make. How can the people in the workshops see what they are doing if there is no power, how do these people who struggle to scratch a living manage in already difficult conditions? This trip was the usual frantic daily rush around the streets of Kathmandu, trying to get everyone to finish everything on time, it never goes according to plan. And then there are the dogs.
I made a couple of trips to the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre, as I usually do. This time it was particularly upsetting though. I went out in the animal ambulance with Dr Kiran the vet, and Khageshwaar Sharma the manager of the centre. We were going to visit one of the brick factories just outside Kathmandu, to speak to people and get more information about the condition of those poor donkeys that the factories use to transport bricks. They overload these poor animals until their backs and legs are so badly damaged that they can no longer work. They are then put in the back of a truck, taken out onto the ring road, tossed out onto the road and left to die. I don't want to write anymore about this because I have seen these poor animals and it's heartbreaking to even think about it. Anyway, the KAT Centre aim to try and help these donkeys by offering veterinary help and hopefully putting together an education programme.
On the way to the factory, Khageshwaar noticed a dog on the side of the road, lying in a puddle, seemingly unable to move. We stopped to pick the dog up which was freezing cold and covered in mud, also seemed to be paralyzed, and put her in the back of the ambulance. She had insects of every description crawling all over her, her eyes were covered in a jelly like film and blood red, it was only her neck and head that she seemed to be able to move. I love Nepal and have some fantastic Nepali friends but when I see something like this it makes me feel very angry and upset to see an animal that clearly is in distress just ignored. I know that it could just as easily happen in any country in the world, people just walk past animals or humans in trouble. Couldn't somebody have just lifted her from the side of the road, out of the water and the danger of traffic?? She must have been in the same spot for ages, there were people walking past her. I know that there is the danger of rabies in the Kathmandu valley, but this poor little dog certainly had no fight in her, so she wouldn't have done anyone any harm.
We were nearly at the brick factory so we drove on. We didn't find any donkeys as apparently in the winter they are sent back to India as they are only required for a limited number of months a year, so these poor animals have to endure that journey too. It is so that the brick factory owners don't have to feed them when they are not required.
Dr Kiran and Khageshwaar dropped me off in Thamel which is where I stay in Kathmandu and they carried on to the KAT Centre with the dog in the back. (See her in the photo above)Khageshwaar phoned me later that evening to inform me that in his opinion, there was no hope for the dog, he didn't want to leave her overnight in the condition she was in. He said that the best option for her was euthanasia. I agreed with him, there is no other option when an animal is partially paralyzed, seemingly blind and very probably her condition was viral and untreatable. In Nepal, vets do not have the diagnostic equipment or the types of drugs available to vets in the west. Unfortunately, she is not the only dog to be found in this sort of state in Khathmandu, there are thousands and thousands like her. If anyone reading this would like to help the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre in their very good work, have a look at the website www.katcentre.org.np
Anyway, we are going to carry on the work as far as the donkeys are concerned, I am trying to raise money for that project at the moment.
Next week I am exhibiting at the Ilkley Complementary Medicine Festival, it's a lovely event with a good crowd of people. I always manage to raise some money for KAT!
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