Staring Cruelty in the Face: The Story of Raha

Introduction

Over the years, we have taken care of many animals who have been the victims of outrageous cruelty. For anyone who loves animals, it is soul destroying to learn the details of what a dog or cat has suffered. In our current care are several dogs and cats who have suffered vicious and incomprehensibly cruel treatment at the hands of people.  Ben who was kicked and stomped on to unconsciousness as a puppy in Chicago, to the point where he suffered such severe brain damage that he is now blind due to trauma to the optic nerves. Kitchee was stoned nearly to death as a 6 month old puppy. Simone, Janet and Junebug who were nearly starved to death while in the care of a Minnesota animal rescue.  Dogs and cats who have been mistreated while under the care of self described " animal lovers"- kicked, beaten, thrown, poisoned, strangled. Cats deliberately abandoned to their fate outside when it is freezing out and there is no way they could survive.. Apricot and Twa, two cats who suffered paralysis as a result of  being kicked or shot. Nino whose entire litter was slaughtered by a gang with machetes and who was the sole survivor but whose hind legs were cut off before he was saved by his mother. Lucky was beaten nearly to death and left for dead and now can see only shadows. Amal who was shot in the face and now has no lower jaw.  These are just some of the animals at our small sanctuary, currently.  Open social media and it's impossible to avoid photos of trophy hunting and animal abuse cases yet other than ranting on twitter or facebook, it's easy to feel hopeless with no way intervene.  

It's hard not to want vengeance for the suffering of these animals, yet feel powerless to create change. But after we took Raha in last year, I decided there had to be a more effective strategy than raging on social media or becoming incapacitated by despair to think of the cruelty in the world. We can't undo the horrors our animals may have experienced but we won't let the abuse define them, nor be the end of their stories.               

Every animal has a story, they say. When people meet a dog or cat at our sanctuary, or see them on social media, their first question is, “What is their story?”

With Raha, a senior Anatolian Shepherd mix, no one needs to ask. His story is plain to see: the horror and cruelty he suffered…and his resilience and joy that could not be extinguished.

Above: Raha, enjoying a beautiful fall day at Home for Life®, October 2018.

The Rescue of Raha

It’s hard to remember Raha’s desperate condition on the day we met him just one year ago. Some sadistic people had attempted to blow his head off. They put firecrackers in his mouth, taped his muzzle shut, and then lit the fuse. Miraculously the firecrackers did not explode, but they still did plenty of damage—their intense heat seared away Raha’s gums, cracked his teeth, and even burned into the bones of his face and jaw. His injuries left him unable to open his mouth more than a centimeter. By the time we met him, he was slowly starving to death.

Raha arrived at Home for Life® emaciated, weak, and
in pain from his injuries. He had traveled halfway
around the  world from Iran to reach
our Midwest sancuary!

Raha was born a street dog in Iran, and he had encountered cruelty before. In fact, his ears had been cut off in a prior incident. He was an older fellow at the time of this latest attack (our veterinarians estimated him to be about age 8). It hardly seemed possible that this lonely, aged street dog from a developing nation could have a future after life had treated him so harshly. But as it turned out, fate had a plan for Raha.

Disfigured and starving, he wandered around for two weeks. Finally, townspeople who had witnessed the attack called the Vafa Animal Shelter for help, and representatives came to his rescue. Vafa took Raha in, but they knew he would need more medical care and ongoing support than they could provide. He was horribly malnourished and he had developed an infection because of his injuries. Vafa reached out to Home for Life® to help with his case.

Raha's rescue story touched the hearts of people all over the world. They were moved by his spirit, and also shaken by the thought that anyone could be so sadistic toward a good dog.

What happened to Raha will always be visible. His disfigurement bears witness to the sickest tendencies of human nature. Yet his enduring trust and gentleness demonstrate that compassion and kindness prevail.

Raha made the long journey from Iran to Amsterdam, Toronto and finally to Home for Life’s® sanctuary in the Midwest, where at last he could receive the complex medical care and extensive rehabilitation needed to restore him to health and happiness.

Staring Cruelty in the Face: Home for Life’s Emergency Medical Care Fund

Our Emergency Medical Care Fund was established for animals like Raha who need extraordinary veterinary care. Thanks to the generosity of many compassionate donors, we were able to get Raha the help he needed.

Veterinarians at the University of Minnesota treated the terrible infection in his face and mouth resulting from his injuries. Next they cleared away the extensive scar tissue so he could open his mouth. Sadly, one eye and several teeth were damaged beyond repair and had to be removed. Raha was fed a special liquid diet for weeks until he regained weight and strength. His recovery took nearly 6 months, but at last his energy returned, along with his interest in life around him!

There is no excuse nor explanation for the evil Raha suffered, but there is an answer to those who hurt him, tried to ruin his life and kill him, and for anyone who has been cruel to a defenseless animal. And that is the rest of Raha’s story, his real story.

Raha’s REAL Story

Raha enjoys community outreach work as a
member of HFL's Peach Creatures Therapy Dog
Corps. Here he is visiting with students at Como
Senior High School in St. Paul, MN.

Home for Life® responded to the senseless cruelty Raha suffered by ensuring the recovery of this humble dog whose name means “free and peaceful” in Persian. Even after all he endured, Raha is a kind dog. The same trusting heart that made him an easy target for cruelty has also inspired compassion and protection from caring strangers who were moved by his courage and resilience. We were determined to help him heal and give him a life of purpose and joy. With our supporters’ generous help we have succeeded!

Our sanctuary is the first true home Raha has ever known. Here he has found stability, friendship, comfort, and so much more—an opportunity to touch the lives of countless people with his story and through his example.

Raha’s story,
written all over
his face, tells
the tale of good
overcoming evil.

Raha has become an ambassador of compassion and peace. As the newest member of Home for Life’s Peace Creatures® therapy dog corps, he brings hope to people battling adversity: patients in hospitals and mental health wards; families in battered women’s shelters; wounded veterans; and students at area high schools.

Raha’s Story Comes Full Circle

As part of the Home for Life community, Raha is helping to bring positive change to the world every day. He touches people through his therapy work and through his own life story. His story has even touched the heart of Dr. Jane Goodall, who met him when she was the special guest speaker at our Spring 2018 Gala. Dr. Goodall was heartened to see how far Raha had come and commented that his story must bring hope to shelter workers around the world who are dealing with neglect and abuse cases every day on a scale that is hard to imagine here in the U.S.

We sent photos of Raha and Dr. Goodall to the Vafa Shelter, whose workers had first stepped in to save the dog’s life. Vafa’s staff and volunteers were thrilled to see Raha healthy and happy at last. His life journey had taken a direction that none of them could have predicted when they first rescued him. Vafa sent us these photos of their volunteers and staff posing with the photos we had sent!

The pictures express, better than words can, the bond we share with those who love animals no matter where in the world they live, a bond that transcends political ideology and other divides. Raha’s story urges us to seek the common ground we share with others, something to think about after this tumultuous year, and as we move into 2019.

A house is made with walls and beams

A HOME is made with love and dreams

Animal sanctuaries are needed everywhere as worldwide interest in Home for Life® attests. Home for Life’s mission and services give hope to animal welfare workers in other countries who face enormous challenges in their efforts to protect animals and provide humane care.

As a care for life sanctuary, Home for Life® supports the work of animal welfare activists in the U.S. and in other countries by helping them with the most desperate cases. To extend this aid restores the faith of brave individuals on the front lines and brings a ray of light to the often bleak circumstances and uphill battle they face.

At Home for Life®, we envision a world in which the most vulnerable animals like Raha can reach their full potential. His story shows that it is possible to make the best of a terrible start in life. He is a living example of goodness triumphing over cruelty. Raha has survived to enjoy a full life and even give back as part of Peace Creatures® community outreach programs.

More animals need the life-saving dream that only Home for Life® can provide and now is the time to make a dream come true for another dog or cat like Raha who might not have that chance without your support. Thank you for all the dreams you have made come true for Raha and all the animals at Home for Life® in 2018. Think of all the animals we can continue to reach in 2019 with your help.

Home for Life's International Rescues

DID YOU KNOW? At Home for Life Sanctuary, we care for animals from all over the United States and also many foreign countries.

Currently, about 10 % of our animals come from other countries, and we care for dogs and cats who have come to us from China, India,Thailand,Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada, Afghanistan,Tunis, Oman,Qatar, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Some ask why we would help animals from other countries, and wonder how these animals find their way to Home for Life from thousands of miles away.

In one sense, these dogs and cats are far away, but in another, with the world smaller and more connected than ever before, these animals aren't far away at all. Because of the internet, we're more aware of the great hardship and deprivation faced by animals in many other countries. Who could forget a dog like Shoja, once they see his picture? Shoja is from Iran's Vafa Shelter. He is a sighthound mix, whose ears and tail were cut off before he was rescued. He was found on the side of a busy road, outside of Tehran, laying in the snow and unable to move. He had been hit by a car, and his left hind leg crushed. He was in such poor condition, so weak and emaciated, that he was unable to move. The kind person who found him brought him to Vafa, where their veterinarians tried their best but were unable to save his crushed leg which had to be amputated. As if all this was not enough, Shoja contracted distemper after his surgery. The dedicated veterinarians and staff members at Vafa pulled him through, but Shoja was left with nerve damage and a persistent tremor. It is hard to imagine how anyone could view this video or photos of Shoja and not have your heart go out to him.

Compassion for animals like Shoja is the common ground we share with those working on behalf of animals in other countries where conditions and difficulties faced by advocates are on a scale hard to imagine here in the United States. With the internet, knowledge of Home for Life's unique mission has become accessible to people who care about animals who otherwise may have never heard of us or known that it's possible for special needs dogs and cats to be saved if they couldn't be adopted. Most of our international rescues come to us because of extraordinary medical needs that cannot be addressed in their home country and which will require specialized care once they arrive.

The obvious question is why Home for Life would help an animal who lived thousands of miles away, in another country. To meet these animals, and learn their stories, it's clear that we couldn't disregard them just because of where they were born. No matter where they have come from, as with all our animals, it is clear that they have few options and desperately need our help. As the writer Maya Angelou wrote, "Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences and goes thru walls to arrive at its destination full of hope." 

Part of Home for Life's mission is showing what's possible- that animals like Shoja can live a great life if just given the opportunity. Everywhere there are animals who deserve a chance and want to live, but for whom adoption into a typical home is not an option. While conventional shelters and rescues focus on "adoptable" dogs and cats, few opportunities are available for special needs animals. Home for Life, the third door in animal welfare, provides a loving lifesaving and innovative alternative for animals who may never find an adoptive home but for whom euthanasia is premature and inhumane.

Animals like Shoja illustrate what's possible- that these dogs and cats can live a great life in a setting suited for their needs. Their lives and stories prove that it's possible to make the best of a terrible start in life- living examples of goodness triumphing over selfishness, meanness, cruelty and fear as they go on to have a full life and even give back as part of Home for Life's Peace Creatures community outreach programs.

Animal sanctuaries- the third door in animal welfare-are needed everywhere as worldwide interest in Home for Life attests. To learn about Home for Life and our services has given hope to people working on behalf of animals in other countries who face many challenges trying to protect them and provide humane care. Our supporters should know that when an animal is sent to Home for Life from a foreign rescue, that rescue pays all expenses to send the dog or cat to us - veterinary exams to certify the animal for travel, and all flight and ground transportation costs. Sending an animal to Home for Life, and raising the money to pay for their transportation is completely unselfish- the animal welfare activists in these countries want nothing more than to see these special dogs and cats have the chance that they cannot give them in their home country.

In many countries animals are still the victim of outrageous cruelty and ignorance. For example, Kitchee is a dog we helped from Saudi Arabia, born with deformed legs and nearly stoned to death when not even a year old. Her journey was featured in the Public Television production on Home for Life, Soul Creatures.

Goofy, from Thailand's Soi Dog Foundation, was rescued from the dog meat trade. Thousands of dogs are shipped from Thailand into Vietnam and China where they are tortured, sacrificed and eaten in barbaric dog meat festivals like Yulin, which was the subject of international protest this year.

Another of our dogs from Thailand's Soi Dog Foundation, Program, is now one of the mainstays of our outreach program Peace Creatures, and works with vulnerable young children impacted by domestic abuse who are living in safe shelters with their moms. 

Nino, from Mexico, suffered the amputation of both his hind legs when he was only a few days only. Nino was lucky- the other puppies of his litter were killed by a gang of boys wielding machetes. The gang only managed to hack off Nino's hind legs before his desperate mother, a street dog who lived in a village outside of Cancun, snatched him away in her mouth and ran. She brought him to a taco stand owner who regularly fed her, and he was able to get Nino to a Mexican dog rescue, who asked Home for Life to help him. Nino seems to have no memory of the trauma he suffered when so young, and is an incredible example of resilience and forgiveness for the school groups he visits.

Home for Life's international rescues even includes cats like Momokun, a blind and epileptic cat who is a great ambassador for our Peace Creatures program. 

Venus is a German Shepherd from Iran whose ears were amputated by a cruel person, before being rescued by Iran's Vafa Shelter.
Venus is now a beloved therapy dog, providing solace and joy to young soldiers recovering from head injuries and amputations at the VA Medical Center's Poly Trauma Unit in Minneapolis, one of just four such facilities in the entire country. For dogs like Venus and Program, politics are not a barrier to their reaching out and helping these injured young soldiers or traumatized children. 

Venus and Shannan, a rehabilitation specialist at the VA Medical Center's Poly-Trauma Unit in Minneapolis.

Venus and her friend Smokey.

Seeing these animals in action, one can't help but wonder why we can't be more like our cats and dogs, who see the good in everyone they meet, approaching them with an open heart, which builds a bridge of understanding, no matter what the person looks like or where they come from. How inspiring it is that these animals from other countries, who came to Home for Life desperate for a second chance, are now able to give back to some of the most vulnerable and at risk human beings of our communities!

As a care for life sanctuary, Home for Life has the opportunity to support the work of animal welfare activists in these countries, who are daily combating this cruelty, by helping them with the most desperate cases. To extend this aid restores the faith of brave individuals on the front lines and brings a ray of light to the often bleak circumstances and uphill battle they face. There are no politics among those who care about animals when the goal is to help a vulnerable cat or dog. The compassion for the animals is the common bond we share which  transcends barriers and boundaries, these dogs and cats creating the rapport which breaks down fear and misunderstanding between cultures and countries. Fear divides but animals combat and help heal that divide.

Love Recognizes No Barriers

Some of the bigger dogs at the shelter in China: the black one was
very sweet; they looked almost like border collie/lab mixes but were
street dogs at risk for being slaughtered for meat

“Love Recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, and penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope” -Maya Angelou

Another view of the big dogs. They are
in small groups in rooms around the courtyard

2011 turned out to be the “international” year as Home for Life welcomed new dogs and cats from Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and Thailand and Japan. Currently in residence at the sanctuary are not only animals from these countries but also animals Home for Life has welcomed who came from Canada, Korea and Taiwan.

The obvious question is why Home for Life would take dogs or cats who live thousands of miles away, in another country. Are there not enough animals who need Home for Life’s services, right under our noses, right here in Minnesota and Wisconsin or at least the Midwest?

Everywhere there are many animals who deserve a chance and want to live but for whom adoption into a typical home is not an option.

A smaller mix breed dog on the steps of a bigger
enclosure at the head of the courtyard

While conventional shelters and animal rescues focus on “adoptable “ cats and dogs, until Home for Life, few opportunities were available for special needs animals. Home for Life, the third door in animal welfare, provides a life saving and innovative alternative for animals who may never find an adoptive home but for whom euthanasia is premature and inhumane.

If an animal needs help, does it really matter where they came from? Why disregard them just because of where they were born? We stretched to help indi, chok-dee, Kitchee, Leah and Nino because we could not turn away. When it becomes easy to dismiss suffering and desperate need, simply because of where it originates, Home for Life will have lost sight of what we stand for. No matter where the animals came from it was clear these dogs and cats had no other options and needed our help.

Part of Home for Life’s mission is showing what is possible, that animals like our 2011 international rescues can live a great life if given the opportunity. Though these are just a few animals out of the many we have helped, they are emblematic of the animals who need a refuge like Home for Life: these desperate cats and dogs have nowhere else to turn.

You can read the profiles of some of our other international rescues, from Canada, Japan and Korea, at these links:
Profile of Icy, from Canada
Profile of Nabi the dog , from South Korea
Animal Update of Momo the cat , from Okinawa Japan

The thought of visiting some of the shelters and rescues where our international rescues came from was not something I imagined would ever happen. I am so busy at Home for Life and hate to fly. However when in China this October for a trip, I had the opportunity to visit a shelter in China and to see first hand the dedication and hard work of the people who advocate for and rescue animals in other countries. I am sure Animal Rescue Beijing(http://www.arbchina.org/) is representative of many of the rescues found in the countries of birth of our international animals.

At the end of October, this year, my husband and I travelled to Beijing China with some friends who know the country well. I never thought I would travel to China; frankly it was not a part of the world I was dying to see. Africa, the Galapagos, Australia all had priority. I dread flying, and the 14 hour plane ride was daunting

Beijing was a wonderful place to visit but not a relaxing vacation destination. The culture was so different that it was hard to be at ease even though the Chinese people are very gracious, friendly and curious about Americans. They are very proud of their country. There were hundreds of them visiting the tourist destinations like the Summer Palace and the Forbidden City to learn about their heritage.

Irene Zhang, left, Teacher Wu and I at Animal Rescue Bejing

It required a lot of effort to get along: the language and even the alphabet was so different, and there are so many more people than even major American cities like Seattle or Boston. Watching the Chinese people drive and pedestrians survive walking in traffic is an amazing experience: the traffic and pedestrians flow like water to any place there is an opening, and I was astonished that no one ever got hit. It is as if the drivers have an intuitive sense of how to move without taking each other out. The Chinese people are definitely the bravest pedestrians I have ever seen. They have confidence that the drivers won’t hit them. One explanation that was offered by some people we met who were familiar with the culture is that China is a collective where in America we think and act as individuals. For instance there is no idea in China of standing in line one person behind the other like we do in the U.S; they all just converge together in a big although peaceful group. I never feel threatened, as if I was in a mob or a riot as you might if that same situation happened in this country. One great experience I had was coming upon a group of several hundred Chinese people dancing on the plaza in downtown Beijing. We were walking back to the hotel after dinner, and there they all were: young people, old people, boys, girls, men and women. It kind of looked kind of like line dancing, kind of like a flash mob and kind of like an aerobics class. They were all in lines, dancing away, with two young women dancing on the front steps of the plaza as the leaders . The music sort of sounded like techno: they played it from two boom boxes. Some of the younger dancers would add extra flourishes and steps, but pretty much everyone seemed to know the steps and the dance routines. I learned that every night at 8 pm, people gather spontaneously from all over to just dance on the plaza to get their exercise. Most people live in apartments with no yards of their own so this is their chance to get outside and have some fun and exercise.

Teacher Wu let the different dog groups out to play in the central courtyard so I got to meet each of them. They are all well loved and well socialized. Here I am greeting a sweet,small mix breed who is fluffy like a poodle mix: Irene Zhang on the left, playing with the small kennel-mate to the fluffy one and Teacher Wu, smiling is at right

The time difference was a challenge especially while trying to keep on top of what was happening back at Home for Life. Calls at 2 or 3 am China time from staff and the vets were a regular occurrence while I was gone. I was not able to access social media at all as China restricts Twitter and other outlets as well as search engines like Google( in that regard it may be impossible for you to see Animal Rescue Beijing's website.) It’s a fascinating country but communist and that was most evident while we were there when trying to use the internet, google, twitter, etc.

A great view of the central courtyard. the building facility is older but works really well for the dogs

China is advancing headlong into the future in many respects: their forward thinking behavior was most apparent to me in the architecture and infrastructure they are constructing. One well known example of the futuristic architecture is the famous "bird's nest" building, constructed for the track and field events of the Summer Olympics held in Beijing a few years ago, and another example is the high speed railways they are building which stand elevated on tall support structures: they are building these transportation systems far into the countryside. Alongside all these George Jetson like buildings and transportation systems are quaint little shops and restaurants everywhere-we saw nothing like Wal-Mart or Target. We did see a lot of luxury stores: for instance near our hotel were car dealerships for Maserati, Rolls Royce, Bentley and every high end fashion designer imaginable: Armani, Gucci, Chanel and many others. Then there are the “pearl” markets that sell knock offs as well as jewelry, watches: kiosk after kiosk located in huge buildings. It is an overwhelming experience to try to browse as the vendors are very forward and will not take no for an answer. “ No thank you- I’m just looking” is not accepted! For a person who hates to shop as I do, it was sheer hell. So if I end up in hell ( as some people hope I do: you know who you are!!) it would be in the pearl market being chased down by dozens of vendors with knock off watches and Louis Vuitton purses.

As fast as China seems to be embracing the future, animal welfare lags behind the United States. According to our friends and others we spoke with familiar with the country and the city of Beijing, dog meat restaurants still exist. The Chinese people prefer cats as pets because most live in apartments. We saw no stray animals at all anywhere in Beijing but did see some people who had small pet dogs. Again, the preference is for small dogs and purebreds because so few people have homes with yards. The Chinese people appeared to be so hard working, working long hours 7 days a week just to earn their daily bread that it didn’t seem they would have time for a pet.

I had no thought of visiting a shelter or rescue while in Beijing but when I mentioned to Merrit Clifton, editor of Animal People Magazine that I was in China, he insisted that I get in touch with Irene Zhang, an animal welfare volunteer and advocate who also works as a translator. Merrit met her while traveling in China on assignment for Animal People , and has stayed in touch. Irene was more than gracious to arrange for us to be picked up at our hotel in downtown Bejing and driven to the Animal Rescue Beijing facility almost an hour away. With traffic being what it was this was a generous and gracious overture that I was glad to accept. She and the driver refused to take any contributions from us for gas.

We travelled far out into the country and then down a narrow street with older buildings on either side. The shelter is in a typical older style Chinese building with a wall and an inner courtyard. Entering through a door in the wall reveals rooms for the dogs surrounding the inner courtyard where the dogs take their exercise. The facility was humble but very clean. The dogs all looked healthy and well fed, and many were very social and friendly. The dogs lived in compatible groups of varying sizes from two dogs to about 6 or 7.

Animal Rescue Beijing had no cats at their facility because in China it’s the dogs that need help. Dogs are not sought after as pets, almost the opposite from the United State where the majority of euthanized animals each year are cats and kittens. At the shelter were many small dogs. Many looked to be Pekinese or peke mixes, but they had some bigger mixed breed dogs including a German Shepard and a golden retriever. Any of the small dogs and most of the big dogs which were loving and very cute, would have quickly found a home in the United States at most shelters. But in China, no one was interested in adopting them. “Teacher” Wu, the founder of Animal Rescue Beijing explained that to the extent anyone in China wants a dog, they want a purebred and a small purebred at that. She pointed out many of her dogs that had been in her care for over 6 years. Many had been rescued from dog meat vendors ( many of the larger dogs) or were abandoned and found running on the city streets starving.

“Teacher” Wu ( teacher is used as a term of respect by her volunteers) is a veterinarian by profession. In addition to the conventional treatments and care provided by a typical veterinarian, she also utilizes Chinese herbal treatments that she makes herself with great results for conditions like wounds and skin infections. Teacher Wu is a pioneer and visionary in her country, helping not only unwanted and forgotten companion animals but also striving to educate others about appropriate care of ALL animals in China. In addition to helping forgotten dogs, and advocating for spaying and neutering of companion animals to reduce the number of unwanted dogs and cats, Teacher Wu and ARB work with the local education departments to develop instructional materials for middle and elementary school age kids about kindness to animals and rabies prevention and control. Another area ARB has focused on is the education of farmers regarding the appropriate and humane care of production animals: China tops the world in the numbers of animals raised for meat and fur. Animal husbandry accounts for 33 % of the total agricultural production in China and 48.7% of the world animal husbandry industry. However, most of the farm owners in China are individuals who have little scientific knowledge and skills. The animals live in dirty environments with poor sanitation and quarrantine and inhumane treatment of the animals and the lack of professional veterinary services cause severe impact to the animals'welfare and the farmer's ability to make a living.

Animal Rescue Bejing also works to expose the cruelties involved in harvesting dogs for their meat, sun bears for bile, and has rescued and freed over 4000 wild birds and animals protected by Chinese law. They have investigated bear farms in northeastern China, fur animal markets in Hebei and the living conditions of other wild animals in Beijing, Qinling, Ninxia,Sichuan and Xinjiang. Based on their investigations, Teacher Wu and her supporters have advised the Chinese Ministry of Forestry on needed amendments to the country's Wild Animal Protection Law. It is tireless work as the concept of animal welfare is not well understood or widely appreciated in China, and everything must be done with the cooperation of the goverment- remember this is a communist country. It is not so much that the Chinese people don’t care as that they have not been exposed to some of the ideas those of us who are involved in animal welfare work here in the U.S. take for granted. Animal Rescue Beijing was founded in 1987 and is a branch organization of Beijing Haidian Senior Forest Scientists and Technicians Assoication which is affiliated with the Chinese Academy of Forestry Science. ARB is a non profit animal welfare organziation officially recognized by the goverment. Over the past several years ARB has devoted much energy to the lobbying for legislation to protect animals and to education and campaigning to acquaint the Chinese people, especially the youth and univesity students, with animal welfare concepts.

Inside the shelter building I greet some of the smaller dogs:
they were a great looking group of small mix breeds
very unique looking and all beautiful and well cared for

Teacher Wu spoke Chinese of course, and I spoke English but with Irene translating, it was very easy to communicate back and forth. That I shared her interest in animal welfare and rescue also made it somehow easier to communicate, and I felt that we had a natural rapport and understanding that transcended the language barrier.

a little small breed mix at Animal Rescue Bejing

I asked Teacher Wu whether she would ever consider sending some of her wards to the U.S. for adoption, remarking that many of these dogs could easily find a home in the States. I raised our experience with Soidog.org in Phuket, Thailand, who has sent HFL two dogs (our paraplegics indi and chok-dee) and who routinely finds homes for their rescued street dogs in Great Britain and Europe, Australia, New Zealand as well as in this country. She and Irene were polite, and sort of acknowledged the idea, but were not enthused. I could tell I had somehow put my foot in my mouth. They didn’t want to send their dogs away. They were proud, and proud of the care they were getting at the shelter, and loved their dogs. If they could find a new home for their charges they were determined that that home would be in China. They would not be sending them away half way across the world. It seemed that if a solution could be found, they would make that opportunity for themselves, where they were, instead of looking for the answer somewhere far away .

Click Here to Read More about the Animal Rescue Beijing Shelter in an article which appeared in Animal People magazine.

Animal Rescue Beijing's website: http://www.arbchina.org/

Home for Life Sanctuary featured in the Bangkok Post!

Soidog.org,located in Phuket Thailand recently asked Home for Life to help two of their special needs dogs. Both Indi and Chok-Dee are paraplegic and Soi Dog,though no kill, believed that the two dogs would not have been able to receive the long term care they needed in Thailand. In September, the two comrads made the long journey from Bangkok to Minneapolis, with a stopover in Amsterdam.

Both dogs are doing well since arriving at Home for Life despite having to adjust to a drastic climate change. Indi and Chokdee have taken to their carts readily and Chokdee particularily loves to run at top speed in his.


The Bangkok Post wrote this great article about the dogs' journey to find their home for life at our sanctuary. The article ran in the October 27,2010 edition of the paper.


Read the article here: http://www.bangkokpost.com/life/family/202978/the-story-of-haan-and-indi

ChokDee,which means "lucky" in Thai, was named by the policeman who found and rescued him. His original name was Leo,then changed to "Haan", a Thai word meaning brave which ChokDee certainly is.But John and Leonard of Soidog thought Chokdee suited him better and that has remained his name since arriving at Home for Life.


Photos of the two dogs were taken in late September at Home for Life by Mark Luinenburg

Update on Nino,the 2 legged dog from Mexico

We wanted to update everyone on Nino, who came to Home for Life earlier this year from Mexico. As a 3 week old puppy, Nino's littermates were slaughtered, and he was mutilated by a gang of boys wielding machetes. They cut Nino's back legs off with the machetes but Nino's mother, a street dog who lived in a village outside of Cancun, managed to grab him in her mouth and run away with him to safety before her last surviving puppy also perished.

The owner of a taco stand and his wife regularily fed Nino's mother, and it was to them that she brought her puppy after he had been injured. They stopped the bleeding on his stumps and brought him to Rescate Malix, a shelter located near Cancun. Some of their volunteers contacted Home for Life via email to ask for help on Nino's behalf. Nino means little boy in spanish. More on Nino's early life was covered in a prior blog post: http://homeforlifesanctuary.blogspot.com/2010/05/home-for-life-sanctuarys-brush-with.html

Now about six months old, Nino has grown to be a handsome and happy boy who is as full of energy as any young dog. He most resembles a miniture australian shepard in size and appearence except for his coloring which is white with the brindle markings- the coloration of wild dogs. In fact Nino has a great affinity and interest in the many coyotes that reside and roam near us and is very curious to check out any smells when he is let outside in the morning. Street dogs are often a melange of many breeds so perhaps it is possible that his heritage includes some coyote blood. Nino lost his legs so early in life that he seems to have no memory of the trauma of the abuse he suffered. He is always happy and smiling. Like all the disabled animals at Home for Life, he has adapted and makes the best of his situation even though he has only two legs. He can move around with astonishing speed by balancing his weight over his front legs. He is currently going thru the adolescent puppy stage known at Home for Life as the "landshark phase". Everything and everyone is a chew toy, and Nino gleefully wrestles with the large cats, and some of the smaller dogs,who avoid him at all costs. Nino doesn't take offense at being avoided and is good natured about chasing them with a big smile on his face. He needs to be with other dogs about his size who can teach him to play with proper boundaries ie don't apply pressure if you want to "playbite". When he is around some of the other sanctuary dogs his age or older,he is like the suddenly shy kid at kindergarten who is a tansmanian devil at home.Like all adolescent dogs he is pushing his boundaries right now but is not mean spirited or aggressive,just typical of the boisterous puppy.

Notwithstanding his disability, his mind works fine, and he is still learning about boundaries.He cannot be obedience trained in the conventional way,but he has learned the concept of housebreaking, the recall, stay and leave it. His very favorite food is dried chicken tender chews which he looks forward to as a beditme snack each evening. Although he is shy with strangers, he has made some public forays to meet new friends such as the students at Totem Town who are pariticpating in the Renaissance Program this fall. '

Because of his youth and agility we really wanted to see if he could be fitted with prosthetics to enable him to move like a normal dog. The first hurdle to overcome was to get the pressure sores on his stumps to heal. While with the rescue in Mexico, he was fitted with homemade prosthetics but they caused pressure sores on the very end of his leg bones. These wounds have taken a long time to heal, and on one of his legs, the very end of the leg bone had to be amputated and the skin sewn over it to finally take care of the open sore and swelling the thigh. Determining if Nino could be be fit with prosthetics was a detailed process involving sending the xrays and measurements of his back legs( which were cut off unevenly and at about where the thigh meets the shin bone) to the company which would custom make the devices. Sadly, after a review of the xrays and second opinion obtained, it was determined that Nino's legs were cut off too high to allow for the prosthetics to be fitted;there was not enough leg bone for the stump cup. Prosthetics even for people, can be very difficult to manage unless they are fitted precisley- human patients often challenged by sore stumps and pressure wounds -they are an imperfect solution in reality. Although Nino is so agile and gets along well on his two legs, the concern is that eventually he will cause stress to his upper leg joints and shoulders over time. So it seems Nino will be destined to use a cart. We are glad he has had the warm summer and beautiful fall to grow to full size and learn to manage his disability and grow up to his full height and weight. His athletic ability and the strength he has developed on his front quarters will enable him to master using a cart very easily . The cart will help him continue to enjoy the outdoors as the weather turns colder,without subjecting his fragile back legs to frostbite or discomfort. He will have the opportunity to enjoy the snow like all dogs do without risking injury.

Once he is used to his cart, we think Nino will make an excellent candidate for our Renaissance Program where he can work with a student from Totem Town to learn obedience within his physical limits and train to become certified as a therapy dog. Nino,with his 'can-do" attitude and sunny outlook, will be a real source of inspiration to human patients challenged with the loss of a limb or other disability.
Nino's photo was taken by Mark Luinenburg at Home for Life in late September. If the blogger does not allow you to see the video of Mark meeting Nino for the photo session please see this You Tube link for the same video: www.youtube.com/homeforlifesanctuary#p/a/u/0/-r3s1bFMTmM

Home For Life's International Rescues: How a Small Sanctuary Makes a Big Difference

This summer has marked a new phase for Home For Life, and the recognition and awareness created by the sanctuary’s mission and work. Home For Life’s focus is on specialized, high-quality care for at risk animals—many of them disabled. These are animals that often are the first to be abandoned at shelters and rescues and the last to have any chance of finding a new home. With few organizations willing or able to take on the challenge of animals with special needs, word of the unique services provided by Home For Life has spread, bringing the sanctuary to the attention of shelters and rescues from around the U.S and now even internationally.

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This is haan, from Thailand. (In
Thailand, capitals are not used so their names are not capitalized.) haan means “brave” in Thai. He is also called “chok dee” by the policeman who rescued him, which means “lucky”. And below is indi the puppy. Both haan and indi are paraplegic, and were born street dogs. haan was found dragging himself along the street, covered with wounds, most likely having been hit by a car. Both dogs arrive next week from Phuket, Thailand to begin their new life at Home For Life!


indi is still a puppy. A cruel kick left her a paraplegic as well. indi was rescued by a boy monk who witnessed the assault and intervened. The boy monk made sure indi got safely to the Soidog.org Rescue in Phuket before he left to go back to India to continue his studies. Thailand is a buddhist country so neither dog was at risk for being euthanized but their prospects for getting the care they needed to reach their potential and enjoy a comfortable and health life were minimal. Both dogs are currently being cared for by the Soidog.org rescue, a wonderful no kill shelter in Phuket which cares for over 300 former street dogs.

Many find homes in other countries but the prospects for these two paraplegics to ever leave the shelter were very slim. More photos of haan and indi and their stories can be found on the soidog.org website excerpt here: "The Story of Haan and Indi...Soon Off to America..." in late September. Thank you to Diane Thurbon, an Autralian national who works in Phuket and is a Soidog.org volunteer; Diane has helped raise the money to help pay for the dogs to travel to the United States.

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This summer Home For Life accepted two wonderful dogs from Mexico. Leah, a striking and sweet small brindle mixed-breed was a street dog rescued by well-known Minneapolis attorney Jim Schwebel and his wife Mary who help many Mexican street dogs find new lives and homes in the US. In the case of Leah, she was either born with a spinal deformity or suffered some trauma which resulted in incontinence and a hopping-like gate. She has become fast friends with two young dogs, also disabled: Luke Skywalker a young boxer puppy from Washington state who is a paraplegic; and Leo, an Australian Shepard mix from Colorado. Leo was found on a reservation being beaten by a group of boys with rakes. He had suffered a broken back either from the beating or a previous trauma such as being hit by a car. Leo has regained some mobility through water therapy, although his gait will never be normal.

Nino, also from Mexico, was previously profiled in one of our blog entries. Nino was born to a street dog who lived in a village outside of Cancun. The mother dog gave birth to a litter of five puppies and kept them hidden in one of the jungles near the village. These jungles are like the protected national and state forests here in the U.S. Three weeks after Nino and his litter mates were born, a gang of boys wielding machetes found the puppies and slaughtered the entire litter, with the exception of Nino, who was saved only because his mother grabbed him in her mouth and ran.

A kind man and his wife from the village saved Nino and brought him to a rescue in Cancun, Rescate Malix (“rescued strays” in Spanish), who then asked us to take him in. Nino came to the sanctuary in May of this year, accompanied by Angie, the founder of Rescate Malix. Nino was too young to remember the trauma of being mutilated and is a cheerful and happy puppy. He is very agile and like a circus dog, can walk on just two legs, with his weight balanced on his front paws. Now about six months old, Nino is being fitted for prostheses, after a series of x-rays taken of his legs, and we hope he will be able to use them successfully to walk again.

The company custom making the prostheses is concerned that the amputations were too high up on Nino’s tibias to allow for their use but has agreed to reevaluate the x-rays to determine if there is anyway he can be fitted for them. A video of the spunky and always smiling Nino can be seen at Home for Life's own YouTube Channel. Here is Nino's Video:

Nino met Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale when he arrived in the United States from Mexico, and was featured in our blog about his brush with fame. Read all about it here: Home for Life Sanctuary's Brush with Fame: Nino the Puppy Meets rockstars Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale

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Kitchee is another dog who will travel from far away to find a new life at our sanctuary. A small alastatian (German Shepard) female, Kitchee was born in Saudi Arabia with deformed hips and hind legs. Abandoned by her owners and thrown out into the street , Kitchee was stoned nearly to death by a group of boys before a good Samaritan came upon the scene and rescued the puppy in the nick of time. The man rushed the nearly dead Kitchee to a veterinarian in Saudi who saved her life but had no place to care for her long-term.

During her recuperation, Kitchee stayed in a small back room at the vet clinic that was dark and had only a cement floor for her to lie on. The back room of the clinic is where a rescue from Dubai found Kitchee and agreed to help, hoping that her chances for a new home might be more promising in that country. Kitchee was moved to a boarding kennel in Dubai where she has been well treated. The rescuers sent us a short video of Kitchee at the kennel in Dubai.

Rescuers, utilizing word of mouth and social media, were not able to find an adoptive home for Kitchee after several months of hard work. The networking by her rescue group led them to Home For Life. In July, a representative from the group came to Home For Life to visit the sanctuary and determine if we would be a quality alternative for Kitchee. In September, the Dubai rescuers will personally accompany Kitchee to the United States and then to Home For Life to see her settled in her new home. Kitchee will be evaluated by veterinarians here because it is believed that reconstructive surgery may relieve some of Kitchee’s pain and help her walk with more ease.

Kitchee’s video discloses that she may have a deformity like one of Home For Life's dogs, Tiger (at left), who was greatly helped by reconstructive surgery on his legs. Click here for Tiger's story.

Thank you for reading our blog and keep in touch.