September 14, 2023

We don’t know how this young street dog became burned–possibly someone accidentally spilled hot water.

He seems too accustomed to being loved to have been a victim of any deliberate cruelty. He has a special friend in his neighborhood who insisted on carrying him to the ambulance. Without intensive treatment, this large burned area could have easily become infected and taken his life . He would need daily wound cleanings, dressings, a course of antibiotics and careful monitoring to ensure his rapid healing, so being hospitalized was essential.

We’ve called him Shiva. Each day he became more and more adored by our staff and volunteers. His healing was beautiful, we neutered him, and because he’s such a popular guy at the temple area where he lives, we knew that Shiva would be in good hands there. When we released him, Shiva expressed a tremendous tail-wagging joy to be home. He still needed twice daily application of fly repellent cream which his caring friend faithfully applied, and our Street Treatment Team made regular visits to ensure the wound closed completely.

This is what a great partnership for street animals can look like: community carers, an excellent shelter, and loving support from donors.