By Deb Jarrett | Founder
Dear *{{First Name}}*,
Wow. Who could have predicted this?
I am writing this appeal to you as I sit in my hotel in New Delhi waiting for my flight to the USA on March 21st - the last day international flights are allowed to land in India.
Two days ago, Himachal Pradesh, the state that Dharamsala is in, closed all borders to domestic and foreign tourists. Yesterday, it was announced that two people tested positive for Covid 19 in the county. Things are just beginning.
I know all of you are probably practicing self-isolation at the moment, and hoping for the best. As you learn new ways of being, I wanted to make you aware of the impact this is having on the work you so generously support:
We have no vet.
Our Head Vet, Dr. Sonia Thakur, is stuck in Australia until the ban is lifted. Our second vet, Dr. Nazneen Thakur left DAR March 8th to be closer to her family in the state of Punjab. She volunteered to come back and help while Sonia was stuck but now can’t because she is not allowed into the state.
What does this mean for DAR? Luckily, our vet assistants are well trained and can handle all treatments and diagnosis with consults from our vets, just like they are for Modak. Modak is one of the approximate 40 hit and run cases we get per month. Here he is learning to walk again.
The Dharamsala Government is encouraging people to stay home unless their work is critical. While our work is critical, we are not a human hospital and we need to ensure the safety or our staff.
What does this mean for DAR?
We have decided that only 50% of our staff will be at DAR at any given time and they will be told to stay home if they are ill. Our helpline will be on from 9am to 12pm each day and we will be attending to only emergency rescues. We rely on local shops for most of what we need and we are hoping we will still be able to purchase to help the 37 dogs at DAR currently and any new rescues.
How can you help?
If you are financially able to donate at this time, please take advantage of this
week’s matching opportunity. All individual donations up to $50 will be matched starting NOW:
09:00:00 ET (click for your time), March 23, 2020,
through
23:59:59 ET on Friday, March 27.
All monthly donations will be doubly matched!
Not only will your donations help our animals, but it will enable us to keep our staff paid! There are no unemployment benefits for them and most are sole income providers for their extended families.
I can't thank you enough for anything you can give at this time. Please everyone stay safe and healthy.
Deb Jarrett, Founder & Executive Director
PS: We did have some fun during my 18 days in India. I even got to give Shivu her first driving lesson!
Links:
By Deb Jarrett | Founder/Executive Director
By Deb Jarret | Founder and Executive Director
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