Some animals cannot be returned to the street, so they stay to be cared for at TOLFA
TOLFA’s Vision is for a world where animals live free from disease and are valued as our equals.
TOLFA’s Mission is to provide vital and preventative healthcare to India’s ownerless animals and those belonging to low-income owners, as well as educate communities in their welfare and value.
TOLFA’s Objectives are to:
Please take a look at some of our Frequently Asked Questions below:
There are estimated to be over 35 million street dogs in India. Most of the street dogs live a very happy life, enjoying natural behaviours that are restricted in many pet dogs. Street dogs are free to roam and explore, sniff and scavenge, form natural groups and territories… and always have the best teeth! An outdoor lifestyle does mean they are susceptible to road accidents and puppies are often born in unsafe conditions. Our sterilisation project is humanely reducing the dog population and keeping the existing dogs as healthy as possible.
Once the street dogs recover from their injury or illness we sterilise (spay/neuter) and rabies vaccinate them and administer parasite prevention treatment. This ensures they are as healthy and protected as possible before returning to their local area. We only release healthy dogs and our team always take them back to the same place where they were rescued from (as long as it is safe to do so). This is really important so they can easily find their friends and familiar food sources.
Street dogs are also very territorial, and it is illegal, by Indian law, to displace them. Many of the dogs have caregivers looking out for them and so our team let them know when their friend is home. Safely returning dogs to their local area enables us to treat more dogs in need at our busy hospital.
A caregiver is any person who helps the street animals in some way, and many of them call us when an animal needs help. There are lots of ways you can help too. You could put out a bowl of water every morning, feed a group of local street dogs, or put up sun shades and rain shelters in your compound. You could also use old blankets and tyres to make beds so the street dogs have somewhere comfortable and safe to sleep. You could feed the cows and cats too.
Caregivers also monitor the health of the street animals in their local area and call our ambulance when they need help. We can all be kind to the animals and even one small gesture a week can really make a difference and improvement in their lives. For more ideas of how you can help the animals in your area follow our hashtag #StreetAnimalHeroes on social media.
Yes – Desi dogs make great pets! They are strong, loyal and very loving. Lots of puppies and kittens come to us when they are very young and some older dogs and cats can not be released after their treatment due to lasting injuries, and so adoption is a perfect solution for them. All dogs and cats adopted from TOLFA receive free sterilisation, vaccines, deworming and lifelong treatment from the TOLFA Dispensary.
We don’t send dogs abroad for adoption for several reasons. At TOLFA we concentrate our efforts and funding on bringing our local communities together to adopt and care for the animals, and treating as many sick and injured animals as we can.
Most street dogs are very friendly and love interacting with people but some dogs, especially in rural areas, can be very territorial and so prefer to be with people they know well. It is always best to let any dog approach you first and read their body language before interacting with them. Dog bites are the most common cause of rabies in India and this is one reason why we sterilise and rabies vaccinate all dogs that come to TOLFA.
You can know if a dog has been sterilised and vaccinated by a marker in their left ear, but rabies vaccines require boosters and even friendly dogs can react differently when they feel frightened or protecting young so we advise everyone to be vaccinated themselves and get to know a dog before touching them.
The free-roaming cows seen on the streets of India are mostly from the dairy industry. Some females are still working and their owners let them wander during the day, but most have been abandoned because they are no longer wanted for milk. Male calves are thrown out almost immediately after birth as they have no use to the dairy farmers.
Unfortunately besides the kind people who put grass and leftovers out for them, food resources are limited to non-existent and so they mainly chew on garbage piles to survive. Plastic ingestion and stomach impaction is a big problem, sadly killing many cows every year. TOLFA is working hard to educate our local communities in living compassionate and sustainable lifestyles to help reduce this needless suffering.
TOLFA is not authorised to rescue and care for wild animals. Sick or injured wild animals have to be referred to the Forestry Department for assistance. We are happy to work alongside local government departments to ensure the welfare and safety of all animals.
