Foreign visitors walking the streets of Thamel, Kathmandu’s tourist hub, can hardly fail to be aware of the presence of dogs-scores of them-lurking in doorways, searching for food, or simply taking a nap in the sunshine. They seem to blend in with everyday street life and the human community. But things are not always what they seem to be…
It has been estimated that there are around 100,000 street dogs in the city, braving traffic-clogged roads and leading perilous lives, which make them prone, at best, to skin diseases and infected wounds and, at worst, to starvation and death.
The lucky ones are unofficially ‘adopted’ by a local shop or kind-hearted individual. These ‘community dogs’ are at least regularly provided with food, albeit lacking in protein and nutrition. They may be given a collar as a semblance of legitimacy.
However, if they fall sick, they are left to fend for themselves, as few people will show enough compassion to take them to a vet for treatment..
Threats to humans
Most dogs, however, must contend with hostility from locals who mutilate and attack them in response to what they perceive as threats to humans, in particular rabies. That risk is real. Over a hundred people in Kathmandu reportedly seek hospital treatment daily for dog bites and subsequent rabies inoculations. Twice that number die annually in all of Nepal from rabies and other diseases caused by direct contact with street dogs. However, local authorities fail to initiate vaccination drives and often resort to poisoning as a radical way of culling the local street dog populations.
Animal rights are low on political agendas in Nepal. In fact, to many, the concept is anathema, even though it is enshrined in law. Nepal’s Civil Code of Criminal Procedure states that the maltreatment of animals and their abandonment due to sickness or old age are offences punishable by imprisonment and a fine.
“I would have killed 25,000 dogs all at once if it was possible somehow.”
Dal Bahadur Karki, the Chairperson of Kathmandu Municipality 30.
Horrific statements
It was remarkable, therefore, when CCTV footage of a woman brutally killing a street dog which had bitten her child went viral on social media in the summer of 2022, and a case of animal cruelty was filed against her.
Even more startling was the aftermath. While the police refused to process the case, the subsequent public debate resulted in horrific statements. Dal Bahadur Karki, the Chairperson of Kathmandu Municipality 30, announced in an executive meeting that he was in search of drugs that could be used for the mass extermination of street dogs. He said: “I would have killed 25,000 dogs all at once if it was possible somehow. I’ve previously killed dogs on my own, so it’s not so difficult for me to kill more.”
The DNA of Nepali street dogs
What are the origins of Nepali street dogs? A genetic case study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a peerreviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal published in the USA, cited strong evidence to show that dogs, which had evolved from Eurasian grey wolves that migrated across Asia along with pre-historic humans, were first domesticated at least 15,000 years ago in a region covered by modern-day Nepal, Tibet and Mongolia.
Nepali dogs are exceptionally loyal, street-smart, obedient, and responsive to training.
The DNA of common street dogs in Nepal has been traced to those first domesticated dogs. Characteristically, the stereotypical Nepali dog is exceptionally loyal, street-smart, obedient, and responsive to training. Their genetic makeup makes them less prone to congenital diseases, and they tend to have healthier and longer lifespans than pedigree dogs.
It seems ironic that well-to-do Nepalis tend to buy pedigree puppies from so-called puppy mills as a status symbol, with Huskies overtaking Labradors and German Shepherds in popularity. However, once the cute puppyhood days are past and the reality of taking care of a high-maintenance dog kicks in, many of these dogs are abandoned to live on the streets, to which their genetic structure is unsuited.
Care for dogs
While Nepalis turn their backs on adopting rescued street dogs from shelters, not so Westerners. For example, the Canada-based Temple Dog, spearheaded by Lesley Mapstone, finds homes for rescued stray dogs. At the same time, the Community Dog Welfare Kopan aims to find homes for such dogs in Europe or America.
Various organisations offer free medical and surgical services to ailing street dogs. Paramount among these is the Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre or KAT Centre, a non-profit charity established in 2004 by the British philanthropist Jan Salter, who lived in Nepal for 40 years and was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II. KAT’s mission is to help raise awareness of the inhumane treatment of Nepal’s street dogs. Today, KAT holds spaying camps in Kathmandu and elsewhere in Nepal to effectively control the number of street dogs. It also has a cancer unit in Lalitpur that treats dogs with canine transmissible venereal tumours (CTVT).
Similarly, Street Dog Care, with its vision of a time when ‘there are no more suffering street dogs in Nepal,’ works with local communities to reduce pet abandonment, foster compassion for street dogs, and share information about animal welfare. The organisation holds regular Saturday camps where people can bring their dogs to be treated and get involved with SDC’s work.
There are some acknowledged iconic champions of the street dog cause, like Irfan Khan, a professional painter and IT expert, who became involved in rescuing and treating injured animals on the streets. He decided to pursue a course in veterinary studies, recently successfully passing his final examination. He is the founder and president of Sankalpa—the Sanskrit word for ‘intention’ and ‘spiritual affirmation’—a non-profit organisation providing medical and humane care to distressed and destitute animals.
Thanks to such dedicated organisations and individuals, the lives of Nepal’s street dogs have improved, but much remains to be done to raise public awareness of their plight and increase the medical and surgical services available to them. In the meantime, amid the sarangi sellers and purveyors of tiger balm, the dogs continue to snooze, squabble, and scavenge on the streets of Thamel, an integral part of life for locals and tourists alike.
Louisa Kamal is a regular contributor to Nepal Connect.
Useful links
Temple Dog –https://www.templedogrescue.com/
Community Dog Welfare Kopan – www.communitydogwelfarekopan.org
The Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre or KAT Centre – https://katcentre.org/
Street Dog Care – https://www.streetdogcare.org/
Sankalpa – https://www.facebook.com/teamsankalpa/
