Some of you may remember Ghost. She was a rescue in India, due to come to her forever home in the U.K. Sadly, Ghost passed away before she made it here. But through Jyothika’s campaign to Fly Ghost Home, she and Mum have stayed in touch and was going to meet up when the lockdown began.
It was Jyothika’s efforts to get a rescue from India that she stumbled upon Stray Dog Support, Inc.
May’s comment: We have dedicated this past week’s blogs to dog rescues as it was George’s Gotcha Day last week and it was also Remember Me Thursday – helping to shine a light on orphan dogs around the world.
Totally unaware of dog rescues before having Darcy, I have since learnt so much about the plight of strays, abandoned and abused dogs – all over the world. In the UK, we have a dog culture and we hardly ever find strays here. But it is not the same in a lot of countries.
It is estimated there are over 200 million strays that roam the streets around the world. It is no wonder that every rescue we have come across are full and they are so in need of help to get these strays off the streets, healed and re-homed – for a second chance in life.
We met Jyothika through her efforts to get Ghost over to the UK back in 2019. Though sadly Ghost never made it, Laika did. And we have kept up a friendship – and we share a passion for helping charities that rescue and re-home dogs. Through Jyothika’s continued efforts to keep in touch with rescues in India, she came across Stray Dog Support Inc. And we’ve asked her to contribute to this week’s posts about dog rescues.
From guest blogger, Jyothika:
After looking to adopt a dog from India and finding Ghost and then Laika, I met many wonderful people and became more involved in the rescue community in India virtually. Through these networks, I became aware of the amazing work that Stray Dog Support Inc were doing. I saw how they took on the most desperate cases and did their absolute utmost to not just save their lives, but find them a wonderful home after. It was truly inspiring! I contacted Stray Dog Support one day by email to request help for a pup who was in a terrible state, her face was burned, she was blind, and local rescuers didn’t have the resources to help her. I received a reply soon after asking if she could be picked up and put into a foster home, and that is how our relationship started.
About SDS
Founded by Helen Summerfield-Brown in 2018, Stray Dog Support’s main mission is to raise awareness of the issues facing street dogs around the world, and to provide resources for those who help with their care. During her time volunteering to help at-risk animals, Helen saw the plight of dogs forced to live in the streets of India and Thailand, and recognized their inhumane treatment and unsafe conditions that drove her to establish Stray Dog Support.
Stray Dog Support is now a registered non-profit based in the US, dedicated to saving and improving the lives of defenseless and vulnerable street dogs around the world. The charity focusses on providing resources to those living local to the dogs who are dedicated to helping these animals, typically using their own very limited means. They work to provide support to these local rescuers who often go without food and basic needs in order to help these at-risk dogs and to help underfunded and overflowing shelters. They also help facilitate transport of these street pups internationally as well provide emergency medical care, spay and neuter programs and vaccination programs. Stray Dog works with partner rescues to find to give these vulnerable dogs a better life, and has successfully placed more than 140 dogs in U.S. and Canada homes with their help. One of their dogs, Eva, has been rehomed here in the UK.
Here are some of the rescues from around the world … they help the most dire cases and therefore chose to only show the after pictures as the before ones are too graphic.
Eva is a train accident survivor from Kolkata, India. She somehow survived for days without any help despite a severed leg and a broken jaw. Her jaw was so broken that it forced her tongue out of her mouth. After she was rescued, Stray Dog Support had to have what was left of her leg amputated. She is now safe and loved by her amazing new family here in the UK.
Khaleesi – This girl was beaten so severely that it not only fractured her skull but also made both of her eyes come out of the sockets. Her head was completely split open, and she was near death when rescued by one of Stray Dog Support’s partner rescues in Cairo, Egypt. Khaleesi spent many, many weeks in the hospital, and she has been out now for a little while. She is still terrified of people which is not unexpected given what humans did to her. She is still in recovery in Egypt and learning to feel comfortable in the company of other dogs and cats.
Qing Mei which means “strong girl” was rescued by a local rescue team from Shanghai, China after she was brutally attacked by members of the police force and their dogs. This little girl had her legs ripped off after she tried to run for her life but she was no match as she is just a baby of only a few months. She is now recovering well and has a partner rescue waiting for her in the US. Once she gets to the US, they will work on options regarding her walking aids such as a cart or bionic legs.
Magnum is truly an inspiration as he continues to heal from having acid thrown on him by someone in Cairo. His skin on his legs and neck were literally hanging off him and his flesh was exposed. The pain he must have been in was overwhelming and his legs were so swollen. His medical team are surprised that he survived this attack. Magnum spent many months in hospital while he was treated for his burns and received intensive care. He is very friendly and they say he is one of the sweetest boys ever which is surprising given what humans have done to him. He will be heading to Canada to one of Stray Dog Support Inc’s rescue partners where they are all eagerly awaiting his arrival.
Sherry – I contacted Stray Dog Support Inc to help her in Jhansi, India. We think her face had been burned from being set on fire or burned with something hot. As a result, not only did she suffer from painful burns, but it also left her with bilateral anophthalmia, in other words she is completely blind. Through help from a local animal activist, Sherry received immediate treatment, but sadly, due to lack of facilities and no shelters in the area, she had to be left back on the streets. If Stray Dog Support Inc hadn’t stepped in, she probably would not have survived. She is now in Pennsylvania, US, living the very best life with her new adoptive family.
Future plans and request for new UK partnerships
Since July, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has banned arrival of dogs into the US from several countries. This means many of Stray Dog Support Inc’s adoptable dogs are stuck in shelters or foster homes in many countries around the world. This makes it harder for them to then find and provide help for other dogs in need. Stray Dog Support Inc. have been keen to partner with UK based rescues for a while, but they don’t have any connections with charities here in the UK. They are currently actively looking for partnerships with one or more rescues in the UK, to help with fostering and adoptions. Our hope is that with help from local rescues, more dogs and pups who have survived the very worst get loving homes here in the UK. If you are a volunteer for a rescue, please discuss this with your teams and get in touch directly with Stray Dog Support Inc at rescue@straydogsupport.com if you would like to start a discussion regarding a partnership. They have several special needs dogs that need help and also other dogs who are healthy and ready to be adopted.
Please check their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/straydogsupportinc for some absolutely inspirational and heart-warming stories. They help the most critical and dire cases, so just a warning that some posts may contain graphic images.
Donate/help:
Stray Dog relies on donations and sponsorship to not only provide food and medicine for the dogs, but also to give them love, confidence and dignity. Stray Dog has no paid employees and no overhead costs so 100% of any donation goes to improving the circumstances of street dogs around the world. For donations, they have PayPal and Venmo @straydogsupport or there is also a donate button on their Facebook page and website: https://straydogsupport.com/donate
