Story: Suraj was found in a very poor state—hungry, tired, most of his fur gone, but he always wanted affection.  The DAR staff named him Suraj, meaning “sun” in Hindi due to the bright yellow color of his eyes, which was also a hinted of his mischievous nature. To read his full story you can read his blog here.

Personality: Suraj, with his new celebrity status (you can follow him on Instagram with his other 13,500 followers), has become a bit of a diva. He sometimes refuses to turn his head towards the camera, or takes off in a huff if he is not getting what he wants. However, he still loves kisses on his forehead, lots of cuddles, and belly rubs. By sponsoring Suraj, you are helping him do his job, getting homes and donations for his stray friends.

Story: When Cooper first came to us he could barely stand up. We could tell he had some nerve damage on the lower part of his spine…most likely from being beaten. He has been on steroids to give him strength and it got him walking again and playing like a normal pup. When we tried to ween him off, his conditioned worsened again so we are keeping him on them for the next few months and maybe for life.

Personality: Cooper, Coopie Doopie was the shyest little guy when he first got to DAR. We started petting him slowly, finding him in the corners he would hide and give him treats and love. Today, Cooper howls when he see you coming in hopes of some affection and plays with his besties in the puppy pen. As a special needs guys he has come a long way!

Story: Luckily for Dorjee, someone saw him lying on the road, bleeding and in pain, after being hit by a car. He was 6 weeks old. We could not save his leg, but he adapted very quickly to his new life as a tripod.

Personality: Dorjee was terrified of humans when he first got to DAR. He was so teeny tiny but growled at anyone who got hear him. He also tried to run away a couple of times. After his amputation and lots of good care, Dorjee is now a DAR star. You can find him playing with other pups, and even letting all of the new pups lay on top of him as if telling them, “Don’t worry, you will be okay, I am here for you.”

Story: Poor Mikey! We rescued him when he was only 8 weeks old. He was run over by a car and his front leg was completely degloved. We tried for months to save his leg and have the wound heal. It would be okay for a bit, then swell up. After 6 months of trying, with the help of our vets and volunteer vets, we realized that we could not save his leg and it had to be amputated.

Personality: Since Mikey has been with us from such a young age, he has no baggage—well, except from being hit by a car—but he loves humans and other dogs! He loves hiking, cuddling, and playing. He even still like being scooped up for a hug. Now that he is no longer in pain or bandaged, we know he will really thrive!

Story: Because the majority of Indians still think of street dogs as menaces to society, puppies are often poisoned, drowned, or just left to die. Poor Oreo was picked up by a man, who then tried to break her legs, and then threw her in a river. Lucky for Oreo, someone scooped her out of the water and brought him to DAR. Her back legs were not working but nothing was broken. To be honest, we were not sure if we could help her or not. We gave her massage and exercise and good nutrition daily and hoped for the best. Just a few weeks after she was put on his treatment plan, she started to walk. Not perfectly, but she was up!

Personality: Now that Oreo is up, there is no stopping her! In fact, we have not been able to get an updated photo of her because she does not stop long enough for a quick snap.

Story: Shakira was originally rescued by DAR in April of 2016. It was clear she had a broken leg and was very scared of humans. She stayed with us until she recovered…and a bit longer. She eventually let her favorite people pet her and groom her, but she was still quite frightened. We decided it was best to put her back where she came from…25 kilometers away. Almost 2 years later, we got a call about an injured dog close to DAR. It was her… somehow, she had found her way back to us and she was a mess: skinny, feet swollen and red, and mange. We then knew that even though she was still shy and scared that she thought of DAR as her home.

Personality: She is still shy, but much better than before. Within just a few days, she will let an unknown woman pet her. The men still have to work on it. However, she has been know to flirt from afar…rolling over on her back, showing her belly, and wagging her tail,,,so we have hope!

Story: Life has been rescued by us a number of times because his skin problem cannot withstand the rough conditions of the street. He leaves our shelter healed, but returns a few months later sore and scabby again, so we have decided to keep him has a permanent resident so that his hairless body is cared for.

Personality: The stud muffin who ended up developing a complex because he lost all his hair. Life is a big, strong dog who likes to keep the pack under control. His bark is deep and demands authority. But he’s calmed down a little since losing his fur and crown jewels, taking a step back and realising there’s more to life than good looks and power. He still has a very soft spot for the ladies and loves a good cuddle.

Story: Johnny was most likely a pet that became unwanted when he developed arthritis, and was dumped on the streets. DAR found him and brought him back to good health, and decided he will stay with us for the long haul.

Personality: The stubborn old man with a Harley-Davidson in his garage. He had a youthful life, one with great risks taken and many adventures lived. He is getting older now, but he doesn’t seem to notice and just does not want to give up! He runs as fast as he can, though he is the slowest of the lot. He barks at everyone and everything because he has earned this right over the many years of experiencing life. He is a funny old man, with a slightly lopsided face.

Her Story: At the age of 2 months, Shamboo was rescued after he was hit by a car. We presume he was hit in the head causing trauma. The head injury has left him with a slight vision problem and his head twitches if you look closely.

Personality:  Shamboo is a very intelligent and active puppy. Don’t think his slight defects have slowed him down. He likes to go on walks, and has learned all of the basic commands, such as sit, stay etc. . Shamboo plays with all of the other puppies and loves to take naps!

Story: Scottie came to us as a little puppy who had been hit by car, rendering both his back legs useless. One leg required an amputation, and the other leg had a large wound that healed in a way that stopped him from ever learning to use the leg. And so, Scottie became our token permanent resident with two legs.

Personality: Paralympic bronze medalist, because the only thing keeping him from gold is his easily distracted mind when anyone new passes the shelter. Being the go-getter that he is, Scottie has trained hard and now has an upper body bigger than Arnold Schwarzenegger. He plays rough with all the other young ones, and when he’s tired he snuggles up for a good cuddle. He has an unbreakable spirit and soft heart and an adorable face to match.

Her Story: She was found on the streets as a puppy, with a small wound and handed to our Founder, Deb Jarrett, at a dinner party. Personality: Silent Seductress Shashi loves to chase cows, and more often than not, bite them. This is not good and hence Shashi has undergone intensive training to distract her from these roaming cows. Shashi is one hot tough nut to crack, but now she is very obedient and will do anything for a treat, including not chase cows.

Story: Cookie, along with his sister, was found on the streets as a puppy. They were weak and malnourished, just like many street dogs. Sadly, Cookie’s sister did not survive, however, Cookie is a fighter and did survive the accident, but had to have his front leg amputated.

Personality: Pack Professor Cookie is the leader of the DAR gang. He teaches the newcomers the ropes on how to act at the shelter and teaches them how to do certain things. He takes care of his great following very well and imparts all the knowledge he has. “Look, you’re in my territory. Do as I say, and I will take care of you.”

Story: Pirate was found on the road by two members of DAR. He has goop coming out of his eyes, along with uclers. We then noticed that his nose, gums, and paws were also ulcerated. Poor puppy. It has been determined that he has an auto-immune disease.

Personality: Considering how much pain Pirate must be in, he is the so friendly and gentle. He loves coming to join our morning meetings to get some extra love while we are planning our day. We hope his treatments make him feel better soon!

Story: Coconut came to DAR after being struck by a car. She was too scrawny and weak to perform the needed hind leg amputation when she arrived. Unfortunately, infection set in and we had to amputate it immediately. She had a long recovery but is now is a fit and healthy girl.

Personality: Raring to go… on three legs. Coconut is a NUT! After her rough start you would never imagine that she was the one growling and howling at the gate everyday to be the first one let out for her daily hike. She loves hiking and playing with the other dogs, and getting dirty. She does not seem too concerned about keeping her white coat clean, as long as she is having fun.