The Daily Shrug: A Texan in Tibet

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went.”
- Will Rogers

Dogs. Dogs everywhere here.

I can't take 50 steps around here without walking by, around, or over a dog. And being a dog lover, I have to resist an overwhelming urge to reach down and pet them as I walk by. If I did, I would have to make the first move because all of the dogs here are completely aloof to the chaos happening around them. They don't approach people, are never aggressive, rarely bark, and they rarely even make eye contact. In fact, most of them are sleeping. I wish I could sleep as soundly as Kathmandu dogs do. Oftentimes, I have to step over a dog sleeping in the middle of the busy sidewalk. The locals do the same thing. No one kicks them off the sidewalk or runs them off from their storefronts. The dogs and Kathmandu populations seem to just peacefully coexist.

Strangely, all the dogs here are about the same size; roughly the height of the average pit bull in the States. There are no clear cut breeds though. Every one is a mutt...floppy ears, pointy ears, straight tails, curly tails, short hair, long hair, plain coat, spotted coat, long nose, short snout; you name it, it's here. What I found striking is that none of them are mangy or emaciated. Every single one appears to be well-fed and reasonably cared for.

No one here appears to have dogs as pets, so who is feeding them? When it hit me that they weren't skinny, I started to notice containers of water on the ground near the entrances to many shops along the streets. Now, I have noticed a few with a sore or something that appears to be healing, but their fur is cleanly shaved around the spot. There is clearly more canine/human interaction than one can see from casual strolls up and down the streets and in the temples.

I was walking back to my hotel this morning and saw a German shepherd-like puppy running towards me that Oddly enough, had a bright red collar on, which to me meant he might be someone's pet. I had a good feeling about this one, so I reached down, grabbed his collar, and held him for the two grateful women who, by this time were panting as much as he was. Figuring these two would know, I saw this as an opportunity to inquire about all the dogs I've seen. They were part of an group that volunteers to tackle the seemingly impossible task of feeding and caring for the strays of Kathmandu. One woman explained that this particular dog was on his way to get neutered (hence the red collar) and he somehow broke free and bolted. It occurred to me that these two women were well-known by the local stray population because all the other nearby dogs turned and ran when they saw them.

In stark contrary to that scene, a third woman up the block was being followed by a small group of dogs that were excited to see her and matched her every step. My curiosity was peaked, so I followed. She and her pack turned into a dead end alley whereupon she doffed her backpack and took out a flat cafeteria style tray and a few cans of dog food. The dogs all sat politely and waited for her to straighten up and step beck before they chowed down. By this point, the word was out and another group of dogs had gathered, so she opened a few more cans and fed them too. My heart warmed. She explained that there were volunteer groups all over Kathmandu who do this very thing several times daily. I asked her who paid for the food, to which she replied "I do". I couldn't help myself. I reached for my wallet and handed her $20USD, asking how much dog food it would buy. Her eyes bugged out and she said that $20 would buy enough dog food to feed her usual crowd for two months. I showed her the photos I captured on my phone of the Kathmandu dogs since I've been here and a picture of my dogs at home, thanked her for her efforts, and asked if I could take her picture to which the graciously agreed.

When my riding group was with our local tour guide yesterday, I asked him about all the stray dogs that seemed to be not just tolerated, but reasonably cared for. He explained that it was a duty to them because their faith dictates that even the lowest of creatures deserve compassion. I felt fortunate to get to witness just such a compassionate act firsthand today. While I felt better when I came upon more dogs on the rest of my walk, I couldn't help but wonder if these dogs missed the human companionship that many dogs in the States receive. Perhaps they don't because they've never experienced it; I don't know. I do know that the people in Kathmandu are missing out on unquestionable loyalty and companionship, which is somewhat sad to me.

Below are a few photos of Kathmandu's canine community. Notice how many are comfortably sleeping among the bustling crowds.