The Ladakh Animal Shelter
Finally on my second day I visited the animal shelter. It was a beautiful walk from the house as I passed traditional homes, free roaming donkeys and cattle, lush grass, trees, crops , and Buddhist shrines and prayers wheels. To get to the shelter, we drove through a state forest of willows and locust trees, then along the winding dirt road to the open area of the shelter.
The shelter was a single room mudbrick building, maybe 40 feet square in the open sandy base of a tall ridge. This was the surgery room with two surgical tables where veterinarians from all over the world spayed and neutered and dogs which were then held then later returned to their place of capture. A parachute was set up near the building to provide shade since there is very little clouds or rain and temperatures were easily 80 degrees F.
Kunzang started with humble beginnings and with VBB has had incredible accomplishments. They are sterilizing 900-1000 dogs a year. One case of rabies has recently popped up in Ladakh and so they are also vaccinating for rabies. India and central Asia have about 80% of the world’s rabies cases. However in the mountains in Ladkah, rabies is very rare, though important. Kunzang and VBB have a wonderful vision for an even stronger shelter and animal care center. Since I have left, they have built a new building for the prep room, surgical room, and a kitchen for both people and dogs.
Dr Mark Johnson
