Meet The Animals

It was tough for Phuntsho during the lockdown. Suffering from a massive tumour in his nose and stuck in Phuentsholing, he could not get the help he needed for a long time. For this kind of cancer, chemotherapy is necessary and the protocol takes many weeks. The earlier it gets treated, the better chances of survival there is. But Phuntsho is a lucky dog and when stars aligned, he was picked up by BARC, hospitalized, treated and the chemo was a success. Even in hard times, we try not to leave anyone behind.

Sister Namgay is a Star! Not because she was portrayed in the Kuensel as the first simian nurse at the BARC, but because she is really a bright, one of a kind female macaque who learned to feed puppies, break up fights and scold naughty ones when necessary. Suffering electric burns on 30% of her body, she had to interact constantly with nursing staff for almost a year and she started to imitate and assist the vet technicians in their daily care of the patients. She soon got the tittle of Sister attached to her name and is a foster mum for the rescued orphan babies, whether they are monkeys, dogs, cats, mice or calves!

Sam is the sweetest, kindest dog. Like so many dogs in Bhutan, he suffers from a bad immune system, and this lead to many problems. He get sick really easily and struggles to get rid of chronic disease like fungal infestation, allergies and skin infections. He also gets parasites like scabies very often and treating him is a long, difficult process. There is a lot of dogs like Sam, not totally sick, but hurting a lot and many of them found a welcoming home at the BARC:  Their lives in the streets is a constant struggle and we want to give them a chance at happiness and a pain free life.

This is Mani. A truck ran over her right side and cut off her front and back legs. Fortunately, Simtoka residents called and she was rescued before she bled to death. This was a close call. But Mani is a fighter and when her wounds healed and it was time to get her life back and put on prosthetics, she surprised us all and started to stand and hop around, defying balance and gravity. As most of the patients who suffered a lot, she is wise and compassionate with others, generous and kind to the new rescued dogs.

Skippy is a survivor! After a car accident who crushed both his front legs when he was a pup, he learned to walk and stand on his back legs, move around and play with others. He is completely independent, goes up and down stairs and jumps in and out of his sleeping crate. He had a tough start in life but he was lucky to be rescued early on, cared for and then brought to a place where he got access to rehabilitation and training so he can have a full life, regardless of his handicap.

My name is Gutty, because I was found dying in a gutter. Not a sexy name I know, but easy for the staff to remember my story. I am quadriplegic, which means I cannot move my limbs at all. I can shake my head and after months of physical therapy, I can hold my neck up and now eat by myself. I can feel everything and I get a lot of attention from young orphaned pups who need a warm belly to sleep against and from the staff who always scratch my back and pet my belly as they know I cannot do it by myself.

Hi Everybody! I am Tenzin and I was rescued in Namseling a year ago. Thanks to nice kids who saw the car hit and run, the rescue team arrived quickly and I survived. Unfortunately, I had to be amputated of both my back legs, needed surgery for both inguinal and diaphragmatic hernias and I struggled a lot with pain and immobilization. But good treatment, care and time did their magic and I am now outside with the group, including Skippy, my kangaroo dog friend and I am learning to be more and more independent. I have come a long way, I know it, and I am thankful for the kids, the rescuers, the surgeon and the nurses because nobody gave up on me, and I didn’t either.