Maybe some of you know that I’m a jazz singer, maybe some of you don’t.  I’m not bringing that up randomly, there is a reason why I mention this. During the pandemic, I ended up making a bunch of virtual jazz videos with musicians from Russia, Argentina, France, Italy…  all over the world really. 

And oddly, as I got to know the musicians, I discovered that there are streeties / rescue dogs everywhere. Many of my online musician friends had dogs under their feet as they played for me. It felt so good to know this. 

One such person I met is Beat Kaestli, (pronounced Bay-At Kae-Slee) who is originally from Switzerland and now lives in Brooklyn, New York. He is a marvellous jazz vocalist, a passionate dog lover and trainer. My favourite kind of human combo.

He has spent time working for many animal shelters in NYC… placing hard-to-adopt doggies in good homes… and you know how hard that is. 

It was really wonderful to talk to him on FaceTime. One of the big takeaways for me was that as humans who love dogs, we must constantly advocate for them. Even little things like telling a guest in your house not to make eye contact with your dog if it’s a nervous animal. Or telling a newcomer not to bear down with outstretched arms holding treats, but rather to toss them in front.  Things that make so much sense, once you think about it.

Beat trains dogs in NYC who are possibly more stressed than dogs in other parts of America, from the sheer pressure of humanity living one on top of the other in tall buildings. Constant stimulation and constant noise. Not really having much privacy or open space.

His company is 3for3DogTraining.com, focusses socially challenged, under-socialized, fearful (in parentheses.. rescue) dogs, with a history of abuse or neglect. If you have an internet connection… he’ll help you. 

I first met Bismi Anil about 6 years ago when my streetie Brownie had disappeared. Vanished. I hunted for her for a month and gave up hope. 

Then a girl I knew on FB posted a picture of a doggie that looked so much like a little Brownie that I had to have her. So we trudged all the way to Whitefield from Cooke Town… a two hour drive each way… to find that this little doggie didn’t want to come home with me. She ran up a winding staircase and peered at me suspiciously from the top. I was crushed.

Until I found some a warm and squiggly wet tongue licking my ankles. It was kara. Love at first sight. Kara and her mom and sisters were being looked after by Bismi. But she was doing much more than that. She was cooking and feeding about 150 dogs  n the Whitefield area while holding down an IT job and the rest of her life.

Over the years her priorities shifted and now she’s into doggie welfare and rescue and feeding, while maintaining a business that caters to dogs. Literally. She bakes delicious stuff for dogs. The company is called DumasBakesNMeals.com. They use no artificial foods / colouring and other bad stuff in their food at all. They are in Bangalore, but I have had dog cookies delivered in Chennai once.

Oh, the cakes and cookies look positively beautiful too… which is great for humans.

DID YOU KNOW?

Did you know that many foods, inhalants, spices, medicines that human beings ingest regularly with positive effects, can be toxic and perhaps fatal for dogs? Depending on dosages of course.

Essential oils for example… eucalyptus , tea tree, cinnamon, citrus, peppermint, pine, ylang ylang are no good for dogs. Their noses are more sensitive than hours. So I’d say ditch the infusers if you’re a pet parent.

No ibuprofen or acetaminophen or methyl salicylate or paracetamol. All this stuff is bad for dogs. So no Brufen, no Dolo please 

Same with human antidepressants. Don’t give your dog your gabapentin or pregabalin just because you thing the doggie is anxious. You could kill it. And here’s a list of food items that are bad for your dog. 

Alcohol. A for Alcohol.

Avocado – yes. It causes diarrhoes in dogs.

Macadamia nuts

Grapes and raisins

Xylitol. The sugarfree stuff

Tomatoes, mushrooms and most seeds and nuts. They are not good for dogs.

Chocolate. Especially dark chocolate contains methyl xanthines that cause vomiting and even death depending on the quantity. Coffee and caffeine are also bad for dogs

And how about plants? Did you know that Azaleas and Rhododendrons contain toxins that are not good for dogs. Same with tulips and daffodils. Seeds from sago palms are especially bad. Eating just a few seeds may be enough to cause vomiting, seizures, and liver failure.

So be careful what you have around your house and garden and Google, Google Google

ALAI (Animal Lives Are Important) is a dog rescue organization, about 5 years old here in Bangalore.  Well it’s not in the city, but in a place called Mitganahalli about 15 kms from the heart of town. 

It’s well known in dog rescue circles in this city and Sajesh, the founder is legend. If you talk to people in Electronic City, or the Nandi hills and other outlying areas of this city, beyond the limits of the BBMP, where veterinary clinics and hospitals are scarce, people talk about Sajesh in the same way they talk about God. Not kidding here.

Back in November of 2021, Bengaluru recorded 224 mm of rainfall, that’s 329% above normal. The city was flooded and the rain continued to pour for days and the situation was horrendous. If you’re from Bangalore, maybe you remember this 

One night, November 21, specifically, Facebook pictures started revealing a horrible situation. ALAI was getting flooded. About 300 plus animals were getting soaked with nowhere to go because they were confined in the shelter. Sajesh and his staff spent the better part of the night recuing the animals one by one. The city of Bangalore and indeed other parts of the country pitched in with funds, volunteers and a lot more to help Sajesh secure each and every animal. It was a dreadful night, one Sajesh will never forget.

I have been trying to reach Sajesh for a while, but like other rescuers, his time is never his own. There’s always some animal with an emergency to shove me to the back of the queue, so I’m really happy to have finally netted him.