Sponsor an Indian Dog

and get a friend for life

Why Sponsor?

Dharamsala Animal Rescue assists approximately 2,000 animals per year to keep the population of strays healthy and community of Dharamsala free of rabies. Some dogs cannot be put back out on the street and do not get adopted, therefore we need to give them a forever home with DAR. We need your help to ensure we have enough funds to make their lives matter.

You can sponsor for $19/month or 650rs/month. And you can get a best friend for life, receiving updates 2 times a year on how your pal is doing. What could be better than that?

Check Out Our Newest Residents

Meet Our Dog Models

“there is more to life than being ridiculously good looking”

 

Meet Aziz

Story: Aziz was shell shocked when he came to DAR. He was still caught in an illegal wire trap when we found him. He was emaciated, maimed, alone and scared for weeks before we rescued him. He had all but lost the will to go on. Then, with your kindness, we were able to perform an amputation on his front leg that saved his life. His indomitable spirit shone through and today, Aziz has blossomed into a beautiful, healthy tripod dog. 

Personality: Aziz doesn’t just look it, but is like a warm cup of latte. Calm, shy, alert & friendly; Aziz takes time to open up but once you’ve gained his trust, he’s confident and relaxed. He makes eye contact and responds well to training with treats! At 1 year, he’s the youngest of our lot and likes playing when he finds similar company in the yard.

Meet Cookie

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.”

Meet Coconut

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.

Coconut is also up for adoption! Learn more here. 

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Meet Chocolate

Story:  We found Chocolate on our way to another rescue when we spotted Chocolate dragging himself along the road. The sight of him could make even the hardest of hearts melt. We discovered he had  a huge maggot wound which destroyed one of his ears. In the beginning, he looked like he was done with his hard life, but somewhere in there was a fighter who wanted to live. Slowly but surely, with regular treatment and a good long rest we can finally say that he is completely healed, hearty and with a whole ear! 

Personality: Handsome Chocolate may not have teeth anymore but he’s just the gentlest boy we have come across. Being older and no longer up for street life,  we simply couldn’t bring ourselves to put him back on the street. Despite the hardships, Chocolate is calm, playful, loves human attention and treats. 

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Meet Dorjee

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.”

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Meet Frasier

Story:  Frasier’s well intentioned feeder had repeatedly given him the wrong medication without consulting a vet.  Because of his feeder’s carelessness, Frasier’s eyes are now permanently sunken into his head and his liver function is compromised. We have no idea how long he will live, but for now he is safe and loved.

Personality: With medication & therapy he is getting better but his eyes have to be kept clean at all times. Frasier’s eyes may ever go back to normal but he remains optimistic. He’s wary of strangers, but is never aggressive. With a cute face like that he’s become everyone’s favourite senior citizen at the shelter and holds a special place in our hearts. 

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Meet Freddie

Story: Freddie has lived all of his 9 years on the streets. He was emaciated and diagnosed with tick fever. For such a harsh life, it’s hard to believe how sweet and loving Freddie is. He’s solemn but takes to strangers instantly, waiting to silently nuzzle up close for cuddles. After we started his treatment, we noticed he still wasn’t gaining weight, even with all the extra yummy food we were giving him. Further tests revealed that Freddie also had hyperthyroidism causing his extreme weight loss. Since he needs medication for the rest of his life, he will be living at DAR. 

Personality: Freddie’s the friendliest guy we know and an absolute joy to be around. In his current state, the biggest part of his body is his head, giving him the silliest look!

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Meet Gujiya

Story: Gujiya (Indian Dessert) unfortunately, was run over by a car which completely paralyzed her hind limbs. With the help of medical attention and physiotherapy, she’s now able to stand and walk a little on all fours. Because of her condition, Gujiya can not be left on the streets.

Personality: If you meet Gujiya, you’ll see her name does her justice. She’s a beautiful dog, exceptionally sweet and full of life! Her charming personality always wins over our new rescues.

Meet Life

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.

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Meet Nuddy

Story: Poor sweet Nuddy was found on the street in front of a row of cafes and shops during the rainy monsoon. Everyone just walked around him instead of trying to help him. He was life-threateningly skinny, missing at least half of his fur, and could not stand up. The apathy broke our hearts. 

Personality: Today, Nuddy has a tail that does not ever stop wagging. He has gained weight and most of his fur has returned. He loves to sleep in plastic round tubs we converted to beds, and if you start petting him just know that he won’t let you stop. If you try to walk away, he just steps on your feet with his cute paws. It is adorable. 

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Meet Scottie

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.

Scottie is also up for adoption! Learn more here.

Meet Shakira

Story: Shakira was originally rescued by DAR in April of 2016. It was clear she had a broken leg and she stayed with us until she recovered…and a bit longer. She was a very nervous and shy dog and no no one could get near here. We knew would would not be able to find a home for her, so we had to put her back on the street – 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: Today, Shakira, has come out of her shell. She loves the women staff and volunteers at DAR. She also loves wrestling and playing with Dorjee and other males dogs.. she is a FLIRT.

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Meet Simba

His Story: Simba was one of the lucky street dogs. He lived at a monastery where he was fed daily and was safe from busy roads and dog haters. One day he went missing and no one could find him. When he showed up at the monastery a few days later half of his snout was missing and it was full of maggots. His face has now healed as much as we expect it will. Since he still has exposed areas and needs daily cleanings, we could not put him back at the monastery.

Personality: Simba is a gentle giant. He is so sweet and barely makes a sound. His favorite thing to do is bask in the sun outside and beg for treats and affection during our morning staff meetings.

Shashi

Meet Shashi

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 run! Her typical pattern on her daily hike is to run run run, then cuddle cuddle cuddle, treat. With her big brown eyes and love for belly rubs, how can you resist?
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Meet Sukh

Story: Sukh had lived a decent life on the streets with the help of a local feeder of street dogs. Until one day, she noticed he could no longer see. He had a mature cataract in his left eye and severe laceration in right eye. We decided not to release him because he couldn’t survive on the busy streets.

Update: Sukh has been living with us for over a year now. Over time, the cataract in his right eye has prolapsed into the anterior chamber of the eye, causing him extreme discomfort and chronic pain. We decided to perform an enucleation surgery to relieve him. The procedure, which took place in September 2022, was a success.

Personality:  Sukh means happiness. It is the perfect name for this gorgeous sweetheart who absolutely loves being around humans.

Sukh gets around really well using his senses of smell and sound. He loves to be petted around his neck and rump and to show it he becomes very animated and excited! At the shelter he loves getting treats while sitting, going for walks and hiking, and cuddling and playing with the team.

Sukh is also up for adoption! Learn more here. 

desi dog

Meet Teddy

His Story: Teddy was only 6 months old when he arrived at DAR with both of his back legs severely broken. We were able to surgically pin the bones back in place and with the help of physiotherapy he built up the strength to walk again.

Personality: Teddy is very playful now and is best friends with Dorjee and Shakira. He is nervous around new people and can be quite vocal about it, but he has lots of energy and is a big and strong boy who will need lots of walks. 

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Meet Teenu

Her Story: When we found Teenu, we thought she had rickets, but then we realized there was no treatment for her condition. Our vet team determined that her condition is a birth defect. Due to our history with dogs like Teenu, we did not think she would survive long, but she has surprised us all!

Personality: Teenu is our little diva. She loves getting attention from all of the boy dogs AND if she sees DAR staff giving attention to other dogs whiles she is around – watch out – she will let you know that she is not happy about it. : )

Frequently asked questions about sponsoring a dog

What is my sponsorship money used for?

Your sponsorship contributions are used to help your sponsor dog and all the dogs in our care.

The money is used to cover the costs of running Dharamsala Animal Rescue, costs such as heating, cooling, cleaning, feeding, medicine, supplies, and all of the love and care these dogs deserve.

Will I be my dog's only sponsor?

Dharamsala Animal Rescue Sponsor a Dog is a co-sponsorship scheme with a number of people sponsoring each dog.

Your money will go towards helping all the dogs in our care, including the dog you have chosen to sponsor.

How often will I hear from my sponsor dog?

Your sponsor dog will send you updates two times a year; Valentines day, and again in the summertime.

What happens if my Sponsor Dog gets adopted or passes away?

If your sponsor dog is adopted or passes away we will always write to you and inform you, we then transfer your sponsorship to another dog in need. 

Can I sponsor a dog as a gift for someone else?

Yes. Once you sign up,  please fill out the gift form. 

The gift recipient will then receive all of the sponsorship details in their name.

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