Tree Of Life For Animals

I first met Rachel Wright, founder of TOLFA, in 2003, when we both enrolled on a diploma course in Essential Oil Therapy for Animals. About a year ago, Rachel made a comment in an email to me that she hadn’t realised just how many large animals they would see at the shelter, such as cattle and donkeys. Off course big mouth here, being a farmer said “Well in that case you could do with someone who knows one end of a cow from another!” and Rachel’s reply was “So when are you coming???”

So, on Tuesday 30th October 2007 I arrived in Delhi along with my friend Mary Lindo, another vet nurse from the course and my friend Brenda. Our first introduction to India was when what initially looked like a minor road rage incident as we left the airport car park, escalated into what I suspect was a fatal assault and at that point, I must admit, I was starting to wonder quite what I had got myself into!

Pauhla treating one of the TOLFA patients

We arrived in Pushkar the following evening and Rachel was there to meet us at the Raj Palace Hotel, run by Nadia and Sam and which was home for the next month. It is a fantastic place (once you get used to the quirky water system and the 5am walk up call from the 500 or so temples in the town) with a rooftop terrace shaded by reams of bright Indian cloth and my room has an amazing view across to the Old Rangji temple the other side of the road and the Saraswati temple on the hill top beyond the town.

It is a magical sight in the dark when the path to the top is lit by a stepping stone trail of light and the view back over the town is even better when you climb up there at 6am as we did. Pushkar is not terribly big but it is always different. Shops seem to move at will and alleyways disappear and Mary de-named it Diagon Alley, after the invisible street in the Harry Potter books.

After a day off to settle in it was straight into the routine at TOLFA with 6 days on and Wednesdays off.

The first day was a blur of dogs and information. The dogs in the rescue block have often been in for several weeks because of their injuries and can get very stressed, either becoming hyper and nosy or just withdrawing and so it is important that they get out each day for a walk and a bit of attention. I took one side of the gallery and Brenda took the other and we started walking the dogs in our respective kennel blocks.

The first day they were wary and quite sceptical and several refused to walk with me although they were happy to have attention in their kennels. I admit that I got home feeling a bit disorientated and unsure of myself but the following day, the difference was amazing. The dogs recognised me and seemed to realise I was going to be about for a while and from that time on, I found an amazing bond developed between us and most of them behaved as if they were an old family pet.

I would not have believed it was possible with dogs who are basically feral and within 3 days, just as Rachel promised, I was even walking some of them off the lead. I soon found the best system was to go out first with the very high-energy dogs and those I realised had “issues” about messing in their kennels and really needed to go out quick! After lunch, when it is too hot to walk, I could stay in the cool of the kennel block and work with the nervous ones and “slow healers” using essential oils.

I was constantly amazed by the generosity and open-ness of dogs that had no reason to trust me. Even dogs that would be termed nervous-aggressive in the UK came round within a few days and all but two were happy for me to handle them. The difference seems to be that street dogs truly live “in the moment” and if you have a basic understanding of what makes dogs tick and don’t approach them with an agenda, they will never fail to meet you half way.

I was in India in total for a month and I absolutely loved it. There is only one way to handle it and that is to throw yourself in at the deep end. A wise friend said “India looks after those who see the joke” and she was right! I saw some things that were upsetting and often frustrating but I also had an opportunity to be involved in something positive with an amazing team of people making it happen. Seeing Rabies first hand and especially in a dog I was very fond of and had been working with for two weeks, was hard but it also showed me how vital TOLFA’s work is to both the dogs and the local community.

On the other hand, I was surprised to find that it was quite easy to let go of them once they left TOLFA for release because I knew they were going home where they belong, but if I went back I would really love to be able to go and follow up some of the dogs after they have been returned to the street.

The joke is that although it was cows that took me to India, I hardly did any work with them, as I was so busy with the dogs. Many of the cows come in literally writhing in agony with guts full of plastic which they ingest as they scavenge on the rubbish heaps of the town and although they are operated on, many die post-op. I saw several cows die while I was there and it really frustrated me that we couldn’t do more. I asked Rachel what one piece of equipment would make a difference and she chose a hoist. This would allow staff to lift the cow up for a few hours a day to ease the pressure on the gut and major organs and improve circulation and avoid nerve damage and this would hugely increase survival rates so now I’m home, I’m on a mission to raise the £500 needed.

I can’t finish without a special mention of Nadja. Anyone who has visited TOLFA will know what an amazingly hard working person he is. The man (and his tea) is legend! For anyone who hasn’t had Chai, it is very milky, strong and incredibly sweet tea, boiled up over an open fire and served in a cup that is so small it wouldn’t look out of place in a dolls house. Mary and Brenda soon decided it was a bit much for them but, although I don’t usually take sugar, I found after a while that on a hot, dusty morning, it really hits the spot. Nadja showed his evident disapproval of the others dislike of Chai by making very sure that I always got my tea, twice a day without fail and often a refill too. He would see me across the compound with one dog or another and call “Hello, tea!” and if I wasn’t there within 2 minutes, he would bring my tiny cup out to me. There is something very satisfying about sitting in the sun, with a happy dog lying at your feet, sipping a nice cup of Chai.

That is one of my nicest memories of my time at TOLFA and, even if I never get to go back, I will always remember it clearly.

Pauhla Whitaker of AnimOILS Essential Oil Therapy

TOLFA Volunteer, November 2007