Tara was still a puppy when we first met.  She was in a tiny cage, sitting neglected in her own filthy waste.  From that day on, I went to see her almost every day.   At that time she could not walk and I would take her out of the cage and tie a towel around here middle to hold her steady and tight and we would go for a walk on her two front legs.    This extraordinary friendly little dog was a bundle of courage and spunk.  But the unclean conditions caused gangrene and in the next year she had to endure two operations.

My tiny flat which I shared with 5 dogs and 3 cats is at the top of three dangerous flights of stairs: much too hazardous and unsuitable, for a dog who is only able to drag herself along.

But a golden opportunity came for stoic Tara. A sympathetic, kind friend named Ellen, who already had a paraplegic dog, heard my story.  Ellen offered to take Tara on the condition that I took her when the time came for Ellen to leave Nepal. Ellen had a big garden and plenty of helpers.  We had a large cage built for Tara.  At last Tara had a caring clean home. 

By the time Ellen left Nepal, KAT was being newly established and we took Tara into our care.  We knew that she could be jealous and feisty with other dogs, so we were worried that Tara would not acclimate  to our other in-house dogs.   The beginning time of adjustment was not easy, but within a short time she was friends with all the dogs. We tried a wheel-chair, but Tara rejected it.

Before long and after lots of exercise at KAT Centre, Tara’s front legs and shoulders have became so powerful that she is now able to lift her back part and legs completely of the ground.  She now is totally mobile and runs freely in the grounds of KAT!

She and our rescued mascot Mango rule the roost at KAT and are the first at the gate to welcome visitors into our Centre. 

Also, both of these plucky little dogs are making a name for themselves as the “stars” of our recent Pet Therapy ‘Dr Dog’ programme at a local orphanage.

Mango was featured in a previous update. To read about the Dr. Dog program, read KAT's August newsletter (PDF) with heartwarming photos here.

Sponsor A Dog at KAT

In July, KAT started the Sponsor a Dog program so that long-term residents like Tara and Mango would be cared for and KAT resources could continue to help other dogs and cats still in need.

From one sponsor on the board to all but one--we are thrilled to report the program is a success!

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