Tree Of Life For Animals

I found TOLFA by a happy accident whilst en-route to another animal hospital in Jaipur in November 2006. I never made it to the other hospital and had the great privilege to volunteer at TOLFA for several months.

When you arrive at the hospital, which is in the middle of an incredibly beautiful and rural desert valley, you are greeted by a happy collection of limping, twitching and wobbling animals, and the hyperactive Loopy Loo, plus the cheerful welcoming smiles of the fantastic team of staff.

Having no veterinary or nursing qualifications I soon found my niche as the ‘doctor of love’ dispensing huge amounts of TLC (and biscuits!) to the dogs and puppies, and caring for the very sick.

The work at TOLFA is often heartbreaking; caring for animals for days, sometimes weeks, only for them to die. But it is enormously rewarding too; seeing animals recover from seemingly impossible odds and having happy, healthy dogs, that you have treated, come up and greet you in the local towns. In this kind of work you have to focus on what you can do, not what you can’t.

The impact on the local community cannot be underestimated; the work on sterilisations, rabies control and rescue work of sick and injured animals of all shapes and sizes; providing valuable, regular employment for the dedicated team of staff; providing free clinics for the livestock of incredibly poor local farmers who manage, somehow, to scratch a living in the valley.

A trip to India is always going to be fascinating and memorable, but to spend time at TOLFA in this amazing region of Rajasthan is truly an unforgettable, life changing experience.

Kym Barratt
November 2006 – July 2007

**Kym and friends**