Visiting Placements: Dog Rescue

Dog Rescue Placement - Nepal

There are more than 20,000 street dogs in Kathmandu - some say, the number is closer to 30,000. There isn’t enough money or manpower or even will to take care of all of them or to dramatically control their population.

That’s why the unusual dog rescue ELI partners with on the outskirts of Kathmandu is so important. It’s an effective, humane place that offers a world of opportunities for the dedicated dog lover, passionate pre-vet or veterinary student.

The location of the dog rescue is a bit surprising. It’s set in a posh community about 45 minutes from central Kathmandu, a scenic, hilly area where large homes -- heck, mansions -- dot the lush landscape. A former Prime Minister lives here, as well as other political and business VIPs.

The rescue facility is a former residential home: a pretty, 2-story house with a surrounding garden. Healthy dogs roam free here, play in the grass or rest in the shade of fruit trees. There are outdoor cages for sick animals, or those recovering from surgery, and more cages inside. Inside is also the organization’s office and surgery where vets perform countless spaying and neutering procedures, as well as offering medical care to injured animals brought here for treatment either by the city, or in the center’s own ambulance.

Founder of the Dog Rescue Center

Volunteers or interns who come here should be self-directed and independent: there isn’t enough staff to mentor you, and the group’s director is often swamped with paperwork and fundraising responsibilities. But for the pro-active volunteer, the sky is almost the limit. You can clean cages, prepare meals for the animals, feed them, play with the healthy ones awaiting adoption and, based on your experience, help administer medication, assist the vet or vet techs with pre-op and post-op care, and help perform countless spaying and neutering procedures. It’s no wonder a recent ELI volunteer raved about her experience.

Considering the upscale residential setting, it’s perhaps not surprising that the center’s neighbors are less than happy to have a dog rescue so close to their manicured homesteads. Their frequent complaints about barking dogs finally forced the rescue to look for a new home. While the move isn’t imminent -- it might take a year or longer -- it will happen.The rescue’s management is looking at land in, or near, the area - and hopes to build a facility especially suited to its specialized needs.

Until that happens, ELI’s volunteers and interns will continue to be placed here… a beautiful, peaceful place for dogs and dog lovers alike.