Tolfa 15 final

15YEARS CELEBRATING WHO WE ARE HELPING +INDIA’S ANIMALS SUPPWOORTMINENG THE POWER OF COMPASSION

PHOTO: CLARA NOWAK WELCOME

I CAN’T BELIEVE that the Tree help as many sick and injured of Life for Animals or TOLFA as animals as possible. What I didn’t it is more affectionately known, know was where the funds would is celebrating its 15th birthday. come from to finance our work. It doesn’t seem five minutes By some miracle though, they since I was walking around the came! To each and every one of perimeter of a barren piece of you who has donated money, land in Rajasthan with my mum time, food, medicines or and her friend, explaining that equipment – TOLFA exists today this was where I was going to because of YOU. Your help has establish our charity veterinary enabled us to build, piece-by- hospital and shelter for India’s piece, into the thriving charity that street animals. My vision was it is today, benefiting thousands of clear, I knew I wanted to create animals every year. Thank you for somewhere that was going to being a leaf on our Tree of Life. 15YEARS CELEBRATING

THE TREE OF LIFE FOR ANIMALS (TOLFA) is a busy veterinary hospital and animal shelter in Rajasthan, India. Dedicated to the rescue and care of street animals, TOLFA was founded by British veterinary nurse Rachel Wright in 2005. Since we started, we have admitted nearly 40,000 sick and injured animals for veterinary treatment and have reached over 200,000 animals across all of our projects. We mainly work with street dogs and cows but we also help cats, donkeys, horses and even have a resident orphaned camel. We are a small charity making a big impact: as well as being an integral part of the local community, we have received international recognition for our work. Kindness and compassion is at the core of what we do and our official mantra is ‘healing from the heart.’ ➜ WWEHOARE 15YEARS CELEBRATING

TALKINGPOINT Celebrating 15 years PHOTO: BRETT COLE who we are Celebrating 15 years | 03

Celebrating 15 years ➜ who we are RHueraaltlhAnimal OB RUARNC H E S TOLFA IS BASED in a largely rural area and many local villagers rely ➜ on their animals for their livelihood: a goat can be the one thing that keeps Rescue + Care a person out of destitution. Over the Project years we have seen how these working animals are not just people’s lifelines THERE ARE MILLIONS of ownerless animals living on India's streets. but a part of their family. Our in-house Our flagship Rescue Project provides transport, veterinary treatment and dispensary runs a free or heavily a safe place to recover for any animal in need. Our animal ambulance subsided clinic every day for the is on call 365 days a year and in 2019 our hard working rescue team livestock animals of the rural poor. responded to 13,000 calls from members of the general public. If the problem is minor, we will provide on-the-spot treatment for an animal, PHOTOS: BRETT COLE otherwise they will be taken back to the hospital to receive the medical care they need, as well as extra care and attention from our nurturing teams. Once recovered, the dogs are neutered and released back to their home territory. Any animal deemed too old or vulnerable to go back on the streets becomes a shelter animal and has a home with us for life.

➜Education STATS IN 2019: ➜ PART OF BEING able to help and 8,464 improve the lives of animals is dispelling fear and ignorance. We run education Rescue animals treated programmes in schools on rabies prevention and animal welfare. It is our 6,000 aim to teach children how to become kind and compassionate members of Rural and working society and to take care of the animals animals helped in their locality. At the same time, we encourage them to be considerate 2,863 to the environment and other human beings. Our education programmes Rabies vaccinations are open to all groups, from schools and colleges to environmental groups. 2,573 Recently we have started to teach our programmes in local businesses and Street dogs spayed hotels as well. and neutered ➜ 1,652 Pet Clinic Children reached PET OWNERSHIP IS on the rise 7,698 in India and the social status of owning a breed dog like a German Pets treated shepherd or labrador is especially highly valued. Unfortunately many 15YEARS SRtaebriielsizVaatcicoinnation + of these breeds are not suitable for the Indian climate and we are seeing CELEBRATING OUR ABC (ANIMAL Birth Control) more of these dogs abandoned on the and Anti-Rabies programmes streets when they become sick or too are an essential part of our work. expensive to feed. We run a daily pet India has the highest rate of rabies in clinic where owners are expected to the world and the majority of cases donate for their animal's treatment. are caused by an infected dog bite. We promote responsible ownership Rabies is fatal and causes horrendous and always encourage people to suffering to both animals and humans. adopt a 'desi' or street dog first. We humanely catch dogs for rabies Street dogs make a delightful addition vaccinations and sterilization before to any home due to their friendly and releasing them back into the loyal natures and are robust and low community. Neutering male dogs maintenance to look after. makes them less aggressive and less prone to fighting over female dogs, while spaying stops the endless cycle of pregnancy and nursing, empowering female dogs to lead a better quality of life. We have sterilized more than 26,000 dogs, preventing potentially millions of unwanted puppies from being born, and have vaccinated over 32,000 dogs against rabies. Celebrating 15 years | 05

Celebrating 15 years inspiring women

15YEARS CELEBRATING Q +A WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TELL US ABOUT TOLFA'S WORK START TOLFA? OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS MFoeuentdoeurr I STARTED TRAVELLING in 1996 and AT THE BEGINNING, there was just soon caught the bug. I loved the idea of a veterinary doctor, three support staff RACHEL WRIGHT LIVES experiencing different cultures, but as a and myself. Facilities-wise, we had a IN INDIA WITH HER FAMILY. veterinary nurse I was very troubled by prep room, operating theatre and SHE WAS AWARDED THE the problems facing the animals living one kennel block. Fast forward fifteen PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL on the streets. In 2001 I was on a beach years and we now have four veterinary AWARD FROM THE ROYAL in Sri Lanka when a very thin female dog doctors and fifty support staff including COLLEGE OF VETERINARY approached me. She looked like she LSAs, who are similar to veterinary SURGEONS IN 2018. hadn’t eaten in days but after a quick nurses. Our existing 1.5 acre site has physical exam I discovered she had a been developed so we have a further stick across the roof of her mouth 220 kennels, separate cow, calf, donkey stopping her from eating. Every day and pig enclosures, a dispensary with after that she would bring a different a second operating theatre, a visitor's dog with her and each one had a room, staff quarters, an education medical problem. I realised that with centre, offices, store rooms, food just me and my first aid kit, I had made preparation room and a cat house with a difference to the lives of these dogs garden. We are currently building a over a short period of time. A few new puppy quarantine kennels facility. weeks later, whilst in the south of India With only a laboratory, X ray room the vision of what I needed to do and an adoption area left to build, crystallised in my mind. In October 2005 our current location will have been on World Animal Day, I was going to fully developed. We have up to six open my veterinary hospital and shelter. hundred animals on site at any one Of course at that time I didn’t know time so it can get pretty noisy! where or how. At the start of 2005 while travelling in Rajasthan, I was shown a WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR photo of how the local municipalities BIGGEST CHALLENGES? were controlling the street dog I WOULD BE lying if I said that the population in that area, which was to road to setting up TOLFA has been catch them, tie them to a stake in the easy. Living in India, initially, as a lone desert and leave them without food and Western woman and at that stage water to die. I had found my place! not understanding the language or ▶ Celebrating 15 years | 07

Celebrating 15 years inspiring women any of the customs, many people witnessing the suffering day in, day ‘‘EVERY ONE of our questioned my motives. After all, why out can be utterly overwhelming – but would I leave a comfortable life in the also why it is so vital that we are here, shelter animals are UK just to help street animals? Not making a real difference to their lives. a testament to how only that, because of the location, on important our work the edge of the desert, nestled against WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR is and why we should the mountains, the weather conditions GREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS? never give up.’ are extreme: in the winter the nights I HAVE BEEN incredibly fortunate and are very cold and in the summer blessed to have received many awards an animal that I turned to for comfort, temperatures can rise to a scorching for TOLFA’s work but actually for me, strength and peace. I vowed that one 50C. The monsoons are overwhelming they are just a culmination of all the day I would give back to them what and torrential rain pours for up to smaller achievements that we see each they had given to me. A promise is three months, bringing with it many and every day. What really matters is to something that is unbreakable and it waterborne diseases and maggot admit an animal that is totally broken is the foundation on which my life’s work wounds. The caste system, too, is a and be able to put them back together is built upon. Every one of our shelter huge challenge. The majority of our again. A big achievement is being able animals, who were initially some of the staff are from a low caste background, to impart the knowledge to a child that sickest and most badly injured, are a which in some circumstances can see they need to be kind to animals. It’s testament to how important our work them treated as second class citizens. seeing our staff’s children, including the is and why we should never give up. It is a very complex social issue but girls, going to school and receiving a when you are used to everyone being good education when many of their ■Their strength and resilience always treated as equals, it is very difficult parents' generation were not able to to watch the disempowerment and go to school. Success is being able to inspires me to keep going. segregation of people just because vaccinate a dog against rabies knowing of the caste they're born into. Last that you may have saved a child from but not least is the extreme pain and this deadly disease. It's something suffering we see in so many of the to celebrate when we watch as a animals we try to help. Sometimes community starts embracing their street animal population and wants ➜ to take care of individuals within it. A wonderful achievement is sterilising a female animal, improving her health and saving her from perpetual pregnancy and from her puppies dying on the streets. I am very proud of what our team has been able to achieve on a relatively small budget. RESILIENCE PLAYS A HUGE PART IN RUNNING A CHARITY. WHAT GETS YOU THROUGH? THE DIFFICULT TIMES? DURING MY ADOLESCENCE I made a promise with myself. I had always had a special bond with animals and during a very difficult childhood, it was always MAP: ELLA OLIVER HEWITT IT’S HARD TO believe that when TOLFA first started, it was a barren piece of land in the middle of the desert. Thanks to our green-fingered garden and maintenance teams, TOLFA has flourished into a natural oasis with bougainvillea, native plants champa and kandil and trees such as neem, gulmohar, khejri, desi babool as well as fruit trees amrut and jamun thrive.

WHERE WE ARE Celebrating 15 years | 09

MT HEEE TT E A M Our head vet Dr Aftab has a calm and unflappable demeanor and somehow always manages to stay immaculately clean, no matter what he is dealing with. A vet for over fifteen years, Dr Aftab runs the dispensary clinic and oversees our rescue project. He gave up the chance to have a lucrative career as a human doctor to work with animals and started out as a large animal doctor in the Middle East. He is highly experienced and well respected amongst the local community. ➜ 15YEARS CELEBRATING DR AFTAB

Celebrating 15 years OURTEAM the humans of tolfa Celebrating 15 years | 11

Meet the team Who we are THE 15YEARS W e often say we're like one big family at tolfa – and CELEBRATING we mean it quite literally. We employ members of the HUMANS same family, from fathers and sons to mothers OF TOLFA and sons, brothers, uncles, nephews and cousins. Often a staff member’s salary will support their entire extended family and many of our staff live in homes that house several generations. Our staff are trained in valuable skills and are diligent and dedicated in their jobs. As well as working with animals, many have adopted Tolfa dogs or cats in their homes. All our people play an essential part in the day-to-day running of Tolfa: from our rescue squad to our vets and dispensary staff, from our nurturers to the treatment teams, to the office and education teams and our drivers, cleaning and maintenance staff. Working for a frontline animal charity can be physically and emotionally hard but Tolfa is a supportive and sociable place, where morning and afternoon chai breaks form an important part of the working day. Along with family, friendships are a cornerstone of Tolfa – both of the two-legged and four-legged variety...

➜ Rajesh ▼ Rajesh is a very versatile member of staff and is an exceptional dogcatcher, known for his calm and caring way with animals. If there is a difficult or scared animal to rescue, Rajesh is your man. Rajesh has worked with animals all his life and his job has taken him from the cities of Bangalore to Jaipur and Bikaner. “I can’t imagine doing anything else,” he says. Hariom ▲ Hary (as he's generally known) works in our office and is an indispensable member of the team. His duties include record keeping and paperwork and his excellent English comes in handy for any translating work. Hary is a committed vegan and a gifted amateur photographer. His gorgeous photo of a puppy called Honey Singh was used on the cover of this magazine. Bunty ▲ Harimohan ▲ Nurturing Supervisor Bunty is a long standing Despite his youthful looks, Harimohan staff member and spends his days' hand feeding has been with us for over twelve years. orphaned puppies and sick dogs, washing and A senior staff member in the puppy house, caring for animals, performing gentle physio and you’ll also find Harimohan out and about with anything else that his vulnerable charges need. the ambulance attending to rescues. Harimohan Bunty is our very own Dr Doolittle; if he’s not on is a great team player and has a quietly cheerful nurturing duties he can be found on the roof demeanour. Here he is striking a pose with feeding local pigeons or building bird boxes. shelter dog Cadbury.

A Sanctuary for life Our animals ➜ SAY HELLO TO OUR SHELTER Timmy ▼ ANIMALS MEET TIMID TIMMY. Donkeys in WE HAVE EIGHTY sanctuary animals at TOLFA, each India have hard lives as working with their own story and personality. Road traffic accidents animals and are often mistreated. (RTAs) are very common in India and many of our shelter Timmy was very nervous and dogs are missing a limb – or even two. But that doesn’t head shy at first, but he came to stop them from getting around and enjoying life… realise he was in a safe place and now has a life free from pain and fear. Timmy is one of our donkeys available for sponsorship. Mandy ▲ MANDY HAS BEEN with us a long time. She had classic bowed legs from rickets, which is quite common here. With lots of calcium supplements, support and care Mandy's legs thankfully didn't bow any further and she is one of the faithful shelter elite.

15YEARS Snowflake ▼ CELEBRATING BEAUTIFUL SNOWFLAKE WAS a train accident dog. As a result she only has two and a half legs and spent many months in the dedicated care of our ‘L’ kennel block (or as we say, L for ‘love’). Snowflake was recently released as a shelter dog along with her kennel mate, Mrs Wobble. Jazz ▲ HANDSOME JAZZ IS another one of our ‘three wheelers.’ He's a very friendly and calm dog and is happiest stretched out in the sand, watching the world go by. Here he is with one of his favourite human friends, Jackie from our nurturing team. ▲ Cadbury + Luna Betty ▲ FEMALES CADBURY (L) and Luna (R) are best friends. BETTY IS ONE of our youngest Cadbury came to us as a puppy dogs. She came in as a puppy in after being bitten by a rabies early 2020 with terrible injuries dog and ended up staying after from a road traffic accident. completing her treatment, while Sadly her back legs had to be Luna lost a leg in an RTA. They amputated but from the word go, love hanging out in our dispensary Betty was an amazingly positive as it’s nice and quiet – girl talk dog and recovered quickly from is best had in peace, after all. the major operation she'd gone As you can see from our medical through at such a young age. assistant Kishore, the team love You’ll find her haring round TOLFA a bit of female company! quite happily on the front half of her body – catch her if you can… Celebrating 15 years | 15

Talking point reality TA L K I N G POINT LIFEThe of a street dog There are more than thirty million ownerless dogs in India. Many of these animals experience disease, hunger and cruelty but given the right conditions, the life of a street dog can be a happy and healthy one. A lot of mistreatment towards street animals comes from fear and a lack of awareness: India has the highest rate of rabies in the world and according to the World Health Organisation, up to 99% of human rabies cases are caused by an infected dog bite. Vaccination programmes protect dogs and the communities they live in, while education and raising awareness help to build trust and co-supportive relationships. Street dogs play an important role in their local eco-systems as they keep the vermin population down and helps to prevent the spread of disease. Life for these dogs is a lot harder than for domesticated pets, but as long as a street dog is healthy and has access to food, water, shelter and medical care, they can lead autonomous lives in which they are free to express their natural behaviours. Appearance isn't everything: street dogs might look scruffy and bedraggled but they normally have great teeth because of all the hunting and scavenging they do. So what is a street dog like? They are often PHOTOS: BRETT COLE intelligent, affectionate and resilient animals, despite what might have happened to them. Although most street dogs don’t have owners there is a growing ‘caregiving’ culture in India (see page 22), where local people lookout for animals and call for medical attention if needed. Our focus is on encouraging local adoptions rather rehoming dogs for international rescues, as we believe it is better to build a welcoming long-term environment for them to live in. Over the years we have seen compassion rise in the region around TOLFA. It's our aim for this ripple effect to spread even further, so more people can see the benefits of having these wonderful animals in their communities. 16 | Celebrating 15 years

BEFORE ➜ SUCCESS STORIES TRANSFORMING ANIMALS LIVES AF TER Case Study Two AF TER tuk tuk Tuk Tuk was seriously ill with distemper, a viral disease that affects a dog’s respiratory, gastrointestinal and central nervous system. Luckily Tuk Tuk had a will to survive and is now one of our most robust shelter dogs. Like many ex-distemper dogs, he still has a twitch, which can make him look like he’s doing a little dance when he comes to greet you. Case Study Three fergus the donkey Foal Fergus was brought in with his mum after suffering a nasty bite wound to his left hind leg. The wound was very large, especially for a donkey so young, but thanks to the superior care from our large animal team, Fergus made a full recovery. BEFORE Case Study One George Poor George was an orphaned street kitten suffering from a nasty case of mange. Mange is a highly infectious skin disease that can be life-threatening if left untreated. Many mange dogs end up being pariahs in their local communities, both from other dogs and people, because of the way they look. Luckily we could treat George before his mange spread and he responded well to treatment. George was adopted by a local person and now has his happy ‘fur-ever’ home.

Talking point TA L K I N G POINT a job for a woman EMPOWERING Employment opportunities WOMEN are few and far between for the women of 15YEARS tija rural India. Outside of the home, working the land or goat herding are the most CELEBRATING Tija is a nurturer in the large common ways to earn a living, while some animal yard. She looks after women also work as labourers. It is not an the vulnerable cows and unusual sight to see female hod carriers on donkeys and bottle-feeds the building sites doing hard manual labour, calves and animals who are sometimes with a sleeping infant attached to immobile or unable to feed their person. It is often back-breaking work themselves. Tija and her for little money with no guarantee of security. husband have eight children, one of whom Pintoo, works Education is on the rise for alongside his mother. Tija has a wonderfully calm energy and young girls but many still only attend serenity and is often seen being school for a brief period and lack basic skills trailed around the place by one such as reading and writing. This puts them of her adoring young charges. at a further disadvantage in a society where women face widespread discrimination and inequality. This is even more so when they belong to a low caste. At Tolfa we have always been committed to supporting women. Recently we were very fortunate to receive our biggest donation to date, a large building in the nearby city of Ajmer. This will serve as the veterinary training college we hope to open next year, with a particular focus on attracting women. “The profession is currently very male-dominated but we want to encourage more girls to undertake the two-year diploma course,\" says founder Rachel Wright. \"We hope this will bring more compassion and empathy into the sphere.\" In the meantime, meet some more of the wonderful women of TOLFA. MAIN PHOTO: BRETT COLE

mohni g ayat r i Mohni has been with Gayatri is one of our LSAs us since 2014. Practical (Livestock Assistants) and and positive, Mohni is a joined TOLFA in 2019. One great all-rounder and an of only two girls in her class, experienced seamstress. Gayatri studied at college She makes our blankets, dog for two years to qualify in the beds and sack curtains to put profession she loves. “I am in kennels during the cold very proud to have completed weather. Before she came my course,\" she says.\"I was to TOLFA Mohni worked as very determined to finish a labourer. She now has a college and my parents were better quality of life and a supportive. I hope more girls secure income to ensure will study for our course her two sons receive a and join us in the veterinary decent education. profession.\" Celebrating 15 years | 19

Talking point Plastic pain TA L K I N G PHOTOS: BRETT COLE WORDS: JEMMA SADLER POINT Cows and India’s plastic problem PLASTIC POLLUTION IS a widespread problem in India. Some put food leftovers out in the street, but too often inside of the biggest victims are the millions of free-roaming cows a plastic bag, which the cow then eats whole. Cities are who wander the villages, towns and cities, feasting on plastic, not natural habitats for cows – there are no green spaces, no cardboard and anything else they can find. The backstory of natural foodstuffs and few safe places to simply rest for even a these ‘plastic cows’ is tragic enough: the majority are male and moment. And of course, the cows are hungry. They have to eat to therefore worthless to the dairy industry - tiny calves wobbling survive. They eat what they find which is, of course, the rubbish. along on spindly legs by themselves is a heartbreaking but unfortunately common sight. Or else they are females who can In the last three years alone we have no longer produce milk and after a lifetime of service treated almost 5,000 cows, removing up to forty kilos and having their babies taken away from them at birth, of plastic from an animal’s stomach at a time. But have been thrown out on the streets to meet their fates. medical treatment is only part of the solution: Many street cows die horrific deaths because their ➜ as long as there is plastic waste on the streets the cows stomachs simply can’t digest the plastic: they stop eating will keep coming. Our education project talks about and end up bloated and in terrible pain. The plastic STREET COWS animal welfare and the danger of plastic to cows. We problem is multifaceted and complicated. Due to the DIE HORRIFIC are hopeful that the children take that message home lack of community or council-led waste collections, DEATHS BECAUSE but awareness of the devastating effects of plastic waste great piles of rubbish pile up in areas all over the towns THEIR STOMACHS on animals needs to be much wider. Only then can we and cities. Many people who want to help kindly CAN’T DIGEST start to ensure these gentle animals a safer future. THE PLASTIC

Rural Animal Clinic: a local woman and her goat wait to be seen. Our rescue vehicle heading out on another call. ➜ BEHIND THE SCENES 15YEARS AT TOLFA CELEBRATING ‘ ‘ ‘ Do you need some help with that?’ Supervisor Radhe attends to paperwork while our resident camel Suraksha looks on in the background. Celebrating 15 years | 21

➜ Real life stories 15YEARS a trustee’s story CELEBRATING “IT'S GIVEN ME A PURPOSE I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED.” NAOMI STEWARD IS FROM LONDON. SHE “ THE ANIMALS BECAME A TRUSTEE FOR TOLFA IN 2016. FEEL LIKE FAMILY MEMBERS.” “ MY FIRST INTRODUCTION to TOLFA came when I found myself sat next to one of their ambassadors ANSH DAGDI LIVES NEAR TOLFA IN at a mutual friend’s birthday lunch. As a lover of all THE LOCAL CITY OF AJMER. HE WAS animals, my ears pricked immediately when she spoke NAMED ONE OF OUR ‘STREET ANIMAL passionately about all the great work TOLFA does. HEROES’ FOR HIS CARING WORK FOR By the end of the lunch I had made a promise to look ANIMALS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. into potentially visiting TOLFA myself and to help with them some much needed fundraising. With the help “ I STARTED FEEDING a lovely female of friends, family and work colleagues, I managed to street dog when I noticed she was often raise £4000 which I knew was desperately needed passing by our house, searching for as the cold winter months were drawing in, and food. Over the last six years our feeding the dogs needed food, warm blankets and beds. Eight group has grown to fifteen dogs! In months later I found myself on a plane to India…. my area there are a high number of dairy Upon arriving at the TOLFA hospital on my first farms so we also see many male calves day, I fell in love with the place immediately. There’s abandoned onto the streets. something magical and peaceful about it – even with This photo shows my mother sharing the constant din of barking dogs! I had been warned her unconditional love with our favourite about the appearance of some of the animals, but I calf. We have named him Ganesh and must admit, I wasn’t prepared for some of what I saw. he feels like a family member now. As The injuries can be absolutely shocking, and it’s so an animal lover I am so proud to live in a sad to see how unbearably skinny some of the dogs city where there is such a dedicated and are, or the ones missing all their fur due to mange. responsible animal NGO, working day But I was in awe of their spirit and their will to survive. and night to help the welfare of animals.” I loved sitting with the disabled dogs who just adored having their chins, ears and backs scratched, as many are unable to do that for themselves. The importance of TOLFA, not only for the street cats and dogs, but also for the surrounding community, is so evident everywhere you look. That’s why I was ultimately delighted to become a Trustee of TOLFA UK, because I want to do everything I can to ensure the survival and success of this special charity, so that many more thousands of lives can be saved in the future. I am immensely proud to be a part of the Tree of Life for Animals. It’s given me a purpose I didn’t know I needed; and I am heartened at the thought that my small involvement may touch and positively impact some of the animals that I love so much.”

AF TER BEFORE MSUOCRCEESS Case Study Five STORIES Twiggy MEET SOME MORE of the animals we’ve helped to heal. We first met Twiggy back in 2013 as an extremely malnourished and scared puppy. Fortunately Twiggy came to TOLFA just in time and started to flourish. She became a shelter dog as she wasn’t suited to life on the streets and is now a confident and healthy dog who loves to make friends with everyone. Case Study Four Case Study Six Sweet older female Walter This sweet mature lady was brought in with a significant maggot wound Poor Walter was brought in with on her left side. Maggot wounds are especially common in the monsoon a deep wound around his nose from season (July - September). It was clear this female had borne many litters and an elastic band that someone had was in poor health but she started to heal well and only had to stay with us put on him. We don’t know how long for a few weeks. As per standard, she was also rabies vaccinated and sterilised it had been there but it was causing so her body could finally have a rest. Here she is just before release. him considerable pain. Not all of the suffering inflicted on animals is intentional. We see similar injuries when dogs have had makeshift collars tied around their neck by children, which is why our education projects in schools about animal welfare is so important. Luckily Walter made a full recovery – here he is back in his home territory greeting our founder Rachel whilst she was out on her rounds one day! Celebrating 15 years | 23

A Sanctuary for life 15YEARS Our animals CELEBRATING PA RT Bendy TWO BENDY IS ONE of our more SHELTER mature 'ladies of leisure' but ANIMALS when she came to us back in 2012, she was just a little pup SOME MORE OF our residents have with two broken legs. We had to their moment in the spotlight. amputate one of her legs as it was just too badly damaged to save but we worked hard to▲ save the other front leg, which although is indeed a little wonky, works just fine. In her younger years Bendy would often be seen walking on her two hind legs for strokes and treats...but she’s far too much of a lady for that now! ▲ Suraksha SURAKSHA WAS FOUND at under a year old wandering in the road outside TOLFA. He was in bad way with a severe case of mange and had clearly been abandoned. Since being at TOLFA he’s come along in great strides (quite literally). He’s a real character who is very popular with visitors. Suraksha is so cool he’s even got his own Instagram account! @get_the_hump BEFORE

▲ Mendak+Peanut PEANUT CAME IN as a malnourished puppy with malformed back legs and Mendak showed him kindness and friendship from the start. Peanut was eventually able to join the ‘big’ dogs and the two have pretty much been hanging out ever since. ▲ Dolci ➜ YES, THIS IS the same pig. READY Dolci came to us as a baby FOR with a nasty dog bite. She RELEASE! immediately struck up a bond with her carer Bunty and the two Not all dogs are loved playing games together. destined to stay We got used to the sight of a with us. One of our grown man being chased round favourite parts of by a tiny piglet – in fact, we’re our work is seeing not sure who squealed the another batch of loudest. As you can see, Dolci healthy and healed has flourished in her time here! dogs heading off to be released - and looking very happy about it! BEFORE Celebrating 15 years | 25

Behind the scenes Real life ➜ A DAY IN THE LIFE OF TOLFA ‘Never Give up, You Are Worth Fighting For.’ Our maintenance manager Santosh puts up a new plaque in a kennel. Kennel sponsorships are an important part of our funding. A cow enjoys a quiet moment in the ‘ large animal yard. The treatment team are in A dog is treated in the pet owner clinic while the background on their morning round. owners look on. Every street dog adopted from TOLFA receives free medical care for life.

Talking point the future PHOTO: BRETT COLE TA L K I N G POINT ➜OUR FUTURE Monsoon season runs Unfortunately, + THE CLIMATE lockdown prevented CHALLENGE from July to September in India and the arid plains of Rajasthan are us from finishing all our work and Extreme weather conditions have transformed into a lush, fertile landscape. despite best efforts, this season we seen us face some of our darkest It has always been our busiest time of quickly saw ourselves under two feet days but there’s always hope year with the wet and muddy conditions of water again. Thankfully we have a breeding ground for disease and been able to keep the hospital running OUR COMPOUND infected maggot wounds. But in 2019 and thanks to sponsorship, our staff WAS HIT BY FLOODING we faced our biggest challenge yet when have also been kitted out with sturdy AGAIN THIS YEAR India recorded the heaviest rainfall in wet weather gear, making their jobs twenty-five years and large parts of the much easier. In the local community country were plunged into crisis. caregivers have been sheltering dogs in their homes and keeping them dry At Tolfa we saw our worst and fed with blankets and food. flooding ever, with large parts of the Climate change is site left completely submerged and the electricity cut off. Our staff worked another challenge we face not just tirelessly around the clock in horrendous as a charity but across the world. conditions to evacuate wet, cold and Rising temperatures due to global vulnerable dogs and move the cows warming are disrupting India’s monsoon to higher, dry ground. We launched a season, which is especially devastating successful monsoon appeal to help us in a country that relies heavily on through the crisis and rebuild parts of the agriculture economy and where the damaged hospital. Since then we millions make their living through have taken further precautionary steps farming. The future might look to safeguard the site from future uncertain but with resilience, flooding, including reinforcing dedication and support (and a few buildings and installing additional pairs of wellies), we will carry on rain collection systems. helping animals and people in need.

Donate HELP ME FROM £3 Join our Tree of Life A MONTH! HHYOEOLUWPCUASN KENNEL SPONSORSHIP G R E AT GIVE BACK WHILE YOU SHOP PRESENT WE HAVE 250 kennels available for IDEA! AMAZON SMILE. CHOOSE THE sponsorship with each kennel housing FROM TREE of Life For Animals (TOLFA) as your an average of eighteen dogs a year. £3 A supported charity on Amazon Smile and £17 a month will pay for all the medical MONTH 0.5% of your purchases will be donated treatment, food, cleaning and care for to us at no extra cost. smileamazon.co.uk every dog. You also get a plaque on the EASY FUNDRAISING. SHOP VIA door with the wording of your choice, a EASY Fundraising and TOLFA receive sponsorship e-certificate and kennels a donation from over 4,200 retailers, updates throughout the year on including eBay, Argos, Waitrose and the residents you’ve helped. M&S. easyfundraising.co.uk ANIMAL SPONSORSHIP FUNDRAISE FOR US! AS WORKING ANIMALS in India, donkeys, ➜ WE’D LOVE YOU to get involved, horses and camels have very hard lives. from bake sales to marathons to TOLFA rescues animals who are suffering WHAT sponsored walks or anything else. from exhaustion, overwork, injury and illness YOUR We can provide you with leaflets, and give them a lifelong sanctuary where MONEY flyers and any support. Check us out on they never have to work again. You can DOES: Just Giving justgiving.com/tolfa or email sponsor a chosen animal from as little as £3 [email protected] to find out more. per month and will receive a certificate and £5=3 regular updates throughout the year. x blankets for vulnerable PET MEMORIAL £10 1puppies or kittens = CREATE A LASTING legacy for your x male dog sterilisation beloved friend or companion. A pet memorial at TOLFA will help the lives of £15 1and rabies vaccination sick and injured street animals. We will = make a hand-carved personalized wooden x female street dog plaque that will hang in our tranquillity sterilisation and rabies garden at TOLFA. A beautiful and £35vaccination compassionate way to remember = your pet and keep sharing the love. Contact [email protected] rescue animals food £105for one day EVENTS = WE RUN A variety of online events large animal medicines from art lessons to yoga classes to for one week writing workshops.

UJOSIN building a better world. ➜ FUISN.D OUR MISSION: To provide vital and preventative healthcare to Find us on Facebook @TOLFAIndia India’s ownerless animals and those Follow us on Instagram @tolfaindia belonging to low-income owners, Tweet us Twitter @TOLFAcharity as well as educate communities in Write to us: TOLFA UK, 95 Bath Road, their welfare and value Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 3LA OUR VISION: A world where animals live free from disease and are valued as our equals Join our Tree of Life! We rely on grants, sponsorship and donations to do our life-saving work. No matter how big or small, your support makes a huge difference. Visit us at tolfa.org.uk to find out more. TOLFA is a registered charity in the UK (No:1120789) Editor: VISIT US! Jo Carnegie [email protected] WE ARE OPEN daily for Art director: visits between 10am and Anna Gyseman Contributors (words): 4pm. Please call ahead Jemma Sadler, Gabrielle Albert or visit our website for Illustration: up to date information Ella Oliver Hewitt on visiting restrictions. With thanks to: Ally Oliver (subbing) David Gyseman (production), Clara Nowak Paulette Hamilton Photos: a huge thank you to Brett Cole for the use of his picture library brettcolephotography.com Cover photo: Hariom Sharma This magazine was generously sponsored by theStewardship.

HEALING FROM THE HEART Shanti 2005-2020 The 'queen of Tolfa' 15YEARS CELEBRATING tolfa.org.uk