Man gives up job to open a rescue home to provide shelter to 70 plus animals
Former mason Tsering Dorjey’s facility in Ladakh is a sanctuary to those animals that are otherwise destined for slaughter or abandonment.
Fifty-seven-year-old Tsering Dorjey is giving a new lease of life to abandoned animals as well as those that end up at slaughter houses.
Speaking about his journey from being a mason to becoming an animal rescuer to Reach Ladakh Dorjey said,
I was waiting for a vehicle in Basgo village. I saw five to six mini-trucks carrying animals. When I asked a shopkeeper, to my surprise, I was told they were being taken to Kargil for slaughter. He said about 8 to 12 such mini-trucks ply every day with animals.
He adds:
I asked myself how I can save them? We cannot advise or force people to take care of them, but we need to be compassionate towards all the sentient beings.
Hence, in 2013, Dorjey put his vocation on the back burner and started an animal shelter in his village Taru, near Ladakh. The shelter is now home to 70 plus animals including sheep, cows, donkeys, dzo, and dzomos.
Tsering Dorjey at his animal shelter
Dorjey also takes these animals to higher pasture lands for grazing during summers, reports State Times.
Looking at his compassion for animals, people from his village donated a piece of land upon his request to build the shelter.
Remembering an incident where he rescued one such animal, he says, once a villager was selling a dzo to a family in the nearby village for slaughter. He immediately went forward and bought the dzo to his shelter.
Following this incident, people from nearby villages such as Liker, Basgo, Spituk, Alchi, Choglamsar, and Martselang also started bringing their animals to his shelter.
Talking about his love for animals, Dorjey says,
Our ancestors were poor, and yet, despite all the challenges, they would take good care of their animals. Today, Ladakh has developed in many ways, so people should take care of animals.
Despite finding help from people from his village, Dorjey says he is facing certain other problems. He says, “Sometimes, people forcibly keep their animals at the shelter, and I cannot say no to them.”
However, for Dorjey, the main problem was managing the animal shelter. To tackle the issue, people from his village joined him to form the ‘Taru Gayphel Tsogspa Animal Welfare Society’ last year. Currently, there are 15 members in the society.
Dorjey is also facing financial difficulties to maintain the shelter. Last year, he had to hire a staff member and had to paid him Rs 12,000 from his own savings to maintain the place.
Hence, in future, Dorjey plans to charge Rs 5,000 per animal to ensure its well taken care of at the shelter.
Giving a message to those who abandon animals, Dorjey said to Reach Ladakh,
It is very disheartening to see cruelty towards animals. The street animals have nowhere to go. People have stopped rearing animals in the adjoining areas of Leh. Many donkeys and oxen are seen abandoned in and around Leh town. If anyone is interested in volunteering, he/she is most welcome. Also, people can donate and bring feed for animals.
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