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A land of mythology and fables, India is home to thousands of temples that worship its infinite deities. This story isn’t one of a conventional temple, but of a shelter, that's home to a large number of stray dogs. Read on to learn about the dog temple that celebrates love and care.
Temples of India
A temple is a structure built for spiritual activities including prayer, meditation, sacrifice, and worship. In a conventional sense, we all attach religious meaning to temples and relate it to the deities of the various religions. In the northern part of Goa is a temple built to serve the best furry friend a human can have, dogs.
It’s nearing dusk and the golden sun is ready to call it a day and set into the Arabian Sea. Silhouetted by the setting sun are about seventy dogs and a few spirited humans, all running around the sandy shores and frolicking in the water. As the water gets cold, they end their play and return home, to the dog temple.
Located in Girkar Waddo, a strip of land between the sea and a river on the Mandrem-Arambol border, the dog temple is a slice of paradise. Run on the kindness of people, the temple is dedicated to the rehabilitation and service of stray dogs in the area that were abandoned or lost. The shelter was found about five years ago by Neeru, a German woman who decided to make Goa her forever home.
By their intelligence, dogs have been closely associated with humans for thousands of years. Their attention to social cues and willingness to tolerate humans have paved the way for an interspecific bond that has lasted the test of time. Having originally evolved from wolves, dogs come in various breeds and sizes today and have adapted to the various ecosystems of the planet.
Today, it is not uncommon for Indians to develop an affinity for pets, buy or adopt puppies and abandon them when they get old and helpless. Female pups are also discriminated against, as few want to take care of them along with their puppies later on. This has resulted in the presence of a large number of stray dogs throughout the country, with nobody looking out for them.
At the dog temple in Goa, these stray animals are loved and taken care of mostly by foreigners who coexist with the dogs, volunteering to support the initiative financially or by physical labor. Ingo, Michael, Silky, and Sandeep are the common faces at the temple along with Neeru and the occasional volunteers who make sure the dogs don’t stray too far and remain safe. They’re supported by donations and are part of a very big furry family. The local community of fishermen is not very supportive of the temple and does not shy away from harming the animals at times. Though the volunteers try and keep the dogs contained within the shelter, the risk of a few straying about and into the vicinity of the fishermen remains a challenge.
Most of the dogs are indie breeds that can survive without a lot of maintenance. But they still require quality nutrition and periodic vaccinations to remain healthy. Requiring about 1 kg of rice daily just for the dogs, the dog temple welcomes wellwishers and donations of all kinds.
Dr. Gustavo Pinto, a veterinarian, is one such well-wisher who helps the temple with vaccinations and periodic check-ups for the dogs. He led a campaign on ‘The World Veterinary Day’ in 2019 to encourage children and parents to visit the temple and interact with the dogs, spread awareness of animal care, and remove inhibitions around human-animal interactions. Many came for the event and the dog temple indeed managed to put itself on the map of Goa as a destination for animal lovers.
Through the dog temple, many dogs have found their forever homes in various parts of the world. While some have moved to Goan homes, some have been lucky enough to fly to Germany and live a happy life. Their friends remain on Arambol Beach, waiting in the hope that their human friend to come and take them home. Until then, the dog temple provides them a haven full of love, care, and joy.
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