Try to imagine that you can't run, you can't get out of the sack, and you don't know what to expect.
This is what happened to 18 dogs in Nagaland.
They had been captured and held for the illegal dog meat trade. Some were puppies. Three were pregnant. One had a badly injured leg. Others were so frightened they had a hard time trusting people.
However, there was one thing about this rescue that was different.
Those who saved these dogs were once a part of the trade.
The Story
The 18 dogs were kept in three different villages in Nagaland. Some were tied up, while others were kept inside crates. One dog, later named Tripod, was found under a pile of logs. He could walk on only three legs because of an old leg fracture that had not healed properly.
When the three women decided to leave the dog meat trade, they still had 18 dogs with them. They might've sold them. Instead, they decided to protect them.
They kept 15 dogs inside one woman's home and three puppies inside another woman's house.
But the dogs kept barking through the night. The neighbors noticed and warned the women that the dogs could be killed if they were not moved.
They had to act quickly.
Humane World for Animals India was called upon and collaborated with Pro Rural, Dimapur SPCA & Chumoukedima veterinary team. They arrived at the dogs and rescued them within 2 days.
The rescuers found three pregnant dogs among them. The dogs had spent weeks being carried in sacks. Some of the puppies were so scared that they shook whenever someone came near.
The rescuers knew that they were unable to cure fear with a pill. So, they remained with the dogs and allowed them time to feel safe.
Every dog received a health check, vaccinations, and a microchip from Dr. Piyush Patel, who leads the street dog program at Humane World for Animals India.
The three pregnant dogs, Whitey, Daisy, and Laila, received extra care. They were also planned for sterilization after their puppies were old enough to be separated.
It didn't stop when the dogs were safely out of the way.
At least eight of the 18 dogs have already found new homes with families in Nagaland. Daisy and Whitey were among them.
An elderly couple was deeply touched by what the pregnant dogs had gone through. They decided to take them home so their puppies could be born safely.
The three women also got a chance to start over.
They acquired new skills like pickling and mushroom growing in a program called Models for Change. They are now working on a new life without having to sell a single dog.
Conclusion
This story began with a group of 18 dogs who were in for an unknown fate. They left it as survivors, some of them sleeping in houses tonight, some of them still healing, waiting for their houses. And three women who once made their living selling dogs have chosen a different future for themselves too.
The dogs got a second chance. So did the people that saved them. And sometimes, the biggest change begins with someone simply deciding: "I don't want to do this anymore."
