Tree Of Life For Animals

Read about the experiences of our latest Project Raja Volunteer, Alba.

Such an experience! Starting my first day at TOLFA was a shock for me, as a vet I’ve never seen dogs with distemper, rabies, dogs extremely affected with mange or paralysed dogs living with a good quality of life, free and wondering about.

Without many diagnostic methods, just your eyes, hands and a stethoscope, one adapts easily to “the Indian way of work.” It is interesting to be able to treat not only dogs and cows but also peacocks, buffaloes and camels!

Alba feeding an orphan calf

I got to help in one rescue with their ambulance and I even did a house visit to treat one of Camu’s dogs (one of TOLFA’s Indian trustees).

Even though at some times the state of these animals was dreadful when they arrived in the shelter, one learns to have hope for them. The vets had to tell me lots of times “Alba, wait and see”, I was honestly not convinced that with only conservative treatment they will get better and sometimes I did not think they would heal at all… It is amazing the strength and will that these animals have to fight for their life, and yes! They do get better and the satisfaction you get is incredible.

The shelter gets divided in 3 main tasks for vets and vet students: surgery, small animal treatments and large animal treatments (I had actually forgotten many things I learned at University about large animal medicine and it was for me refreshing and good fun!). In my first week, I was doing surgery and I helped to perform 6 amputations! In the shelter, there were lots of dogs with open fractures that will not heal unless a major orthopaedic surgery was done. So it was better for the animals to amputate these affected limbs than to treat them topically.

Alba assisting Dr Anup in the operating theatre

Unfortunately their rate of survival is low as most of the dogs are endotoxaemic and suffer malnutrition. There was a black and tan puppy with a fore and a hind broken leg. The hind leg needed amputation, but if the fore one did not heal… the puppy will not be able to walk again. It was a hard decision, but eventually we performed the amputation, and I am happy to say that she is doing very well.

Daily treatments for our inpatients

Every day the fantastic team are a pleasure to work with, they help you out at all times in everything you ask them, and between Indian jokes and smiles, having a nap sometimes after lunch and sweet tea in the afternoons, the time passes so quickly!

This is an experience that I would recommend to anyone, it completely fulfilled my expectations. Getting to know such a warm and kind culture and meeting genuine people like “Mama” (Wendy), how Rachel’s mother is known in the shelter, makes me want to go back to TOLFA again!

Alba Carreras
Project Raja Volunteer
March 2008