Tree Of Life For Animals

Our Puppy House has now been built, inaugurated and is fully operational. It has been difficult at the shelter having to cope with lots of puppies and very limited places to put them as Wendy, one of TOLFA’s hospital managers explains.

Staff, trustees and shelter dogs posing at the Puppy House opening ceremony, March 2008

‘Last year, as usual, as soon as I arrived at the hospital puppies started to come in thick and fast, Rachel thinks they wait for me! A few pups are fine as we have three cages to keep them in if they are small, not ideal but manageable. Most of the time I was there the numbers fluctuated between twenty and thirty and often I was at my wits end trying to find somewhere to house them.

The weather this winter was particularly cold and lasted longer than usual so my one of my problems was keeping very young and/or very sick pups warm enough. The dog kennels are designed for larger animals, with concrete floors and high ceilings it was very difficult to make them cosy enough for puppies, plenty of sacks and blankets and ensuring they were not on their own was okay for older, reasonably well puppies but that left a lot of pups needing a warmer place to live.

The cages were kept in the large animal theatre and three or four pups kept in each of these, the rest were bedded down each night in cardboard boxes, shopping baskets and bread trays, as can be imagined it was mayhem in the mornings with them all wanting food and fuss!

Bedtime for the pup brigade before our puppy house was built

Infection control was a nightmare as it was difficult to isolate sick puppies and a lot of time was spent playing musical puppies, this created its own problems as the vets often found it impossible to work out which pup had what condition and what treatment it had been given unless myself or one of the volunteers was around and keeping track of where each pup originated.

At least six bitches gave birth whilst I was there, it was very stressful for them being in the kennels with all the other dogs and people around and the noise they created so I spent a lot of time sewing sacks over the doors in order to give them some privacy.

I would often phone or text Rachel as I was desperate for a separate area where puppies could be kept in smaller, warmer kennels that were easy to clean (puppies are very messy), where they could be kept away from other dogs at a very vulnerable stage of their lives and where new mums could look after their litters in relative peace, I even knew where it could go as we had an unused foundation that would be ideal, we just needed the funds to build it.’

It was with a generous donation that we were able to build our very own puppy block, designed to house all our smaller guests and mums-to-be in a place where it would be quiet and restful for them.

The latest addition

And so it came to be built with a small sum by British standards. A darling little house designed to Wendy’s specifications. 12 spacious fully tiled, built in cages along one wall, slate work surfaces and a sink. Wendy has shopped for *puppy rearing kits, tiny feeding bottles, little pairs of trousers for paralysed pups so their tender lifeless limbs aren’t rubbed raw, tee-towels for extra comfort as bedding, puppy sized feeding bowls. A hottie for cold winter nights, all eventualities catered for.

Soon after I arrived back at the Shelter from wintering in London, Dr Irshad tells me, smiling broadly, he has a surprise for me. The boys are clearly excited and expectant and one tells me “important man coming”…it’s difficult to keep the secret! Three trustees roll up, Kamoo, Monahan and Deepak. The scene is set for the much loved Indian Inauguration ceremony.

It’s all charmingly formal. Mr Monahan Singh puts the red puja mark and rice grains on my brow, which all fall off (unfortunate for me as a few grains remaining is good luck), the other volunteers, Laura, Tara and Clara are similarly anointed as well as Charles and Edward, the paralysed pups, who love to be at the centre of the action.

Serena, cutting the ribbon to officially open the puppy kennels

I cut the ribbon, draw the pink nylon curtain covering the plaque. I cry, of course! It’s so touching. We all tuck into a few Indian sweetmeats washed down with a Sprite and there’s much jubilation and posing for photos.

Gopal, Serena and Bruce in front of plaque at the opening ceremony of our Puppy Kennel block

So we have 100% occupancy. Kishore’s wife, Sharda is a wonderful caring nurse-maid and very thorough with her cleaning routine. Sometimes these things need a woman’s touch! Milk and kibble are dispensed and the weak ones are syringe fed with sugar solution and milk, we’re willing their tiny fragile bodies to pull through.

Our first puppy christening the kennels

Mid morning all the active pups gambol about in the sand at the bottom of the steps, having a few contretemps with each other. Rosie, the shy back and white 3 legged adult enjoys mingling with them, ever ready to polish off a few forgotten helpings.

Sharda gives them a last drink of milk before bedtime and 12 little pups (oh and one cat!) are tucked up for the night.

Sharda takes care of our many pups

Serena Schellenberg

TOLFA Trustee

March 2008

* Some of the kit for the puppy house was bought through a kind donation from a friend of Erica, our volunteer from Canada.