Tag Archives: Kathmandu street dogs

Watch World Vets in action as they help reduce the street animal population in Nepal

Watch how a team of volunteer veterinarians from World Vets give free medical care to street dogs in Nepal.

By Heather Newgen

It’s 7:30 a.m. and volunteer veterinarians from World Vets head to work. As they make their way through the dusty streets of Thamel, the touristy area of Kathmandu, some are laughing, others are excitedly chatting and one befriends a street dog they call Ryder.

The group of vets, who are from the U.S., Canada and Australia on this trip, have one common goal–to sterilize as many dogs as possible in an effort to reduce the massive population, improve their quality of life and decrease public health issues for underserved communities. According to local reports, an estimated 25,000 dogs live on the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal’s capital.

As they catch their ride to a makeshift camp an hour outside the city where they’ll perform surgeries and medical treatments, they coax Ryder onto the bus with food and put him at ease. He doesn’t know it yet, but he’s about to be neutered.

World Vets is an organization that provides free medical care for animals in 48 countries. All volunteers are veterinarians, licensed and non licensed technicians, pre veterinary, veterinary and technician students, as well as those who are simply animal lovers with trained vet skills.  All volunteers pay for their own expenses.

Related: See what it’s like to volunteer at Sneha’s Care in Nepal

“I love it because it’s something I strongly believe in—the sterilization of animals everywhere,” Dr. Helen Valentine, whose been on three World Vet trips said . “It really helps decrease the overpopulation and it’s an opportunity to travel and see the world and meet up with a great group of people,” she added.

To make the biggest impact, World Vets partners with local organizations such as animal welfare groups, foreign governments, non-governmental organizations, agriculture and public health officials, as well as, a wide variety of veterinary professionals to learn about the needs of communities in the countries they service.

For more information visit https://worldvets.org/.

See what it’s like to volunteer at Sneha’s Care in Nepal

If you haven’t been to the colorful, yet chaotic city of Kathmandu, Nepal, add it to your bucket list.  Not only does it offer a memorable holiday with its beautiful cultural landmarks, historical sites and endless adventures, but travelers have the chance to give back in an ethical way by helping street dogs.

RELATED: Orphanage Tourism in Nepal: What You Should Know

The street dog population continues to increasingly grow in Nepal and while government officials aren’t doing much to help the situation, some locals are stepping up to help protect the animals.  Sneha’s Care was established in 2014 by animal activist Sneha Shrestha to help protect the estimated 25,000 stray dogs from cruelty and abuse. The team not only campaigns to introduce animal welfare laws, but they’re actively educating the public about responsible pet ownership and animal rights.

The shelter is staffed with people who care for the 160 dogs currently living at Sneha’s Care, but also needs volunteers to do a variety of projects like cleaning the shelter, feeding the dogs, taking them on walks, washing their dishes and giving them lots of love and attention. You can also do IT and art projects as well. In addition, Sneha’s Care is also in need of skilled volunteers with a veterinarian background.

Volunteer housing with Wi-Fi is offered for $150 a week. Three vegetarian meals a day, drinking water and transportation to and from the shelter is included. Volunteers are expected to work 6 days a week from 10:00AM to 5:00PM and it’s strongly recommended to get the rabies vaccine beforehand.

Watch the vlog on what it’s like to volunteer at Sneha’s Care and you’ll see it’s hard, dirty work, but the dogs will love you for taking good care of them!

For more information visit SnehaCare.org.

By Heather Newgen