Tree Of Life For Animals

As you walk through the rescue kennel block, dozens of alert eyes follow you, willing you to stop and stroke and nurture, and yes, you’re carrying a lead which means a delicious outing into the big world outside. Sand between your paws, nose to the breeze, perfect places to seek out for doing what doggies do!

Perhaps a scrap with a bristling shelter dog like Justin, hackles up with indignation at an unknown outsider. But above all, chance to stretch those dog legs after being confined to barracks.

The distributing of Tree of Life For Animals leaflets around Pushkar has brought our hospital to the attention of Jim Bob and Dawn Daly who forgo jewellery making, gypsy dancing and yoga classes in favour of a week of walking our rescue dogs.

Jim and Dawn - dog walkers extraordinaire

Their instinctive understanding of the individual dogs mean they quickly know who’s keen and who’s mean! Within a day or so they have earned the dogs’ trust and their charges dance round their kennels in anticipation of the sortie with the duo from Bristol. It’s remarkable their dedication and joy at the task.

It’s hot work during the summer, constantly lifting dogs in and out of the raised kennel building, and striding out through the fields around, dogs tugging on the lead, or trotting amiably beside. Sun hats offer the only shade until our trees all around the shelter have matured.

Jim and Marley

Eloise Leyden comes to the shelter as a dog walking volunteer, leaving her writer boyfriend Jamie in Udaipur to scribble away. Her rust baggy trousers purple shirt topped off with wide brimmed hat become a familiar vision of loveliness on the shelter landscape.

She has an incredible empathy with the dogs and methodically goes through the kennels with warmth and good humour, determined to make each dogs day. She falls particularly for a small tan pup, legs foreshortened by rickets – he’s christened Pork Pie. She walks miles each day to ensure 25 dogs or so romp in the fresh air.

Buy Eloise’s book Slum Dogs of India featuring her favourite photographs of the dogs she discovered on her year long trip around India.

Expert dog walker Eloise

The Indian staff play their part in the dog walking ritual and everyday at 4pm they gather up their personalised leads and take out their charges. There’s Ramesh with Mohan Singh and Manoj with E3 (the dogs who are short stay are known by their kennel numbers) They form strong attachments with particular dogs and its mixed feelings when their favourite is ready for release, fully healed.

The puppies and adolescents are Indian lady staff member Sharda’s department and they tear round joyfully for most of the day, leaping up and grabbing her rippling sari. They stream out in her wake with that dulally puppy playfulness.

Eloise, Jim and Dawn were travelling through India, paused their travels to experience TOLFA and its animals for maybe a week or two. They made a tremendous difference to the happiness of the dogs. We are very delighted to have temporary help from travellers who are willing to commit to at least a week, so they can get to know the staff and dogs and the routine. However, we prefer the more formal approach of dog nurturing volunteers joining the Project Raja Scheme.