saddhuji and Nandi at shelter

A visit from Copenhagen friends...

Yesterday, in the sweltering heat of late-May, Tara Thorsen and her friend from Copenhagen in Denmark, paid a loving visit to SASS ashrama. I understand that all the animals - including our little bull, Nandi, gave her a resounding welcome. It was just fantastic to feel the connexion - clear across the globe - with friends who care.  Thanks, Tara!

time for a visit from Denmark

Its Nandi - our bull's birthday. We take this occasion to inform our readers that we now have our own little farm-house and are making arrangements for a veternarian crew from Copenhagen to visit SASS and help sterilise our new dog adoptees. Viola! Thanks you for following our progress through the years...

a new home for Nandi and Chitki and family...

More recently, SASS expanded its services to rescues of street cows, bulls, and calves. We have a great new friend called 'Nandi' who joined our family a month ago. He was found unconscious on the street in Sarnath after a beating from a local shop-keeper. He now lives on our farm and is wonderful to be around. Anna, a housemate, insists that Nandi loves ambient music. His tastes, otherwise, are mueslix and corn on the cob!

SASS enters its fourth year of service shortly!

More recently, SASS expanded its services to rescues of street cows, bulls, and calves. We have a great new friend called 'Nandi' who joined our family a month ago. He was found unconscious on the street in Sarnath after a beating from a local shop-keeper. He now lives on our farm and is wonderful to be around. Anna, a housemate, insists that Nandi loves ambient music. His tastes, otherwise, are mueslix and corn on the cob!

travels with 'Rosie'

A few days ago, we had news from one of our animal-friends in Kerala of the new-found fame of 'Rosie' among people of her village.
'Rosie' was a street-dog who lived under the wooden shop of a local 'chai-wallah'. I had found 'Rosie' one stormy monsoon night in the middle of the street - she had a broken leg and was in acute pain. After a few visits from a local Vet, 'Rosie' made it alive and was adopted by her 'chai-wallah' friend. She became a favorite among villagers. It seems that she has recently gained some media attention by inspiring songs composed by local folk-singers. One song was aired on Kerala TV last week.

SASS: Street Animals of Sarnath Services

My name is Anu and I am part of a circle of animal friends in Sarnath, India. SASS stands for ‘Street Animals of Sarnath Services’. - we provide free vet care and adoption services as well as sponsor education for children of families that adopt an animal. The connexion between animals and humans is a timeless one - we are all part of a sacred web of life. Perhaps its really a matter of our hearts and minds and of finding a way to become present to a situation - no matter how dismal or difficult it might seem at first!
When I first came to Sarnath from the US, I was a bit surprised to find so many stray dogs on the streets. It was also evident that there was no animal shelter around. However, there was an animal hospital and the vet was irrespressibly friendly! Together, we began to vaccinate street dogs and then to find homes for them. Surprisingly, this turned out easier than expected - once the reasonable concerns over vaccinations and safety were dealt with. It was obvious that people did care for the animals but had few means to develop their concern. A critical link between animals and humans seemed to be children - kids being kids - were naturals in the art of loving... So, SASS became a way of providing free education to kids of families that adopted a stray.
At present, there are thirteen families involved in the circle of care, twenty kids recieving education at the Universal School, and eighteen animal adoptions this year. Even more remarkable, there seems to have occurred a shift in attitude towards street dogs. Folks are less likely to toss a stone or to hurt an animal... Local tea stall clients seem more able to share food and milk with them... These may seem to be small changes but perhaps they are a beginning and an indication. For the heart is a mystery and we know that nothing is impossible there!