It's a dog's life

As the city lights up in celebration of Tihar, the most anticipated day for Nepal’s dogs and their parents arrives: कुकुर पुजा.

Yet, it is a mixed blessing for our furry friends. Nepalis worship them as the guardians of the gates of heaven, garland them with marigold and offer them treats in the morning, and in the evening spook the doggies with firecrackers.

This Kukur Tihar may also be a time to give a thought to the many pets that have been separated from their families during the recent floods on the Trisuli and Budi Gandaki. Two dogs in particular have captured the hearts of people worldwide.

Seti (pictured, left) belongs to Dayaram Karki from Dharche, and was taken away in the Budi Gandaki flood on 11 October. She was swept down to Jagat and marooned on a sandbar, surviving for two weeks on biscuits thrown across the raging water.

Seti was finally rescued after a three-day effort led by Animal Nepal which deployed professional white water canoe guides to bring her home. A video of the daring rescue across the turbulent river has been viewed around the world.

Then there is the story of a black-and-white dog in Trisuli which just would not abandon the spot where its family’s house used to be in the 26 August flood. The dog has a collar, but no one seems to know its name since the entire neighbourhood is gone.

The dog sits quietly at what was once its family’s courtyard, sometimes digging in the sand. His unwavering loyalty has become a heartbreaking symbol of the attachment of a human’s best friend.

Social media has played a vital role in recent years in disseminating information about missing dogs, or getting people interested in adopting abandoned ones from shelters. And that same digital space has also highlighted human-dog bonds during darker times.

SOCIAL ANIMALS

Rajiv Lama is better known by his social media handle, karzen_kanchi because he posts videos of his five adorable canines as they go about their daily activities around his home, showing amazing obedience and affection. Videos of the dogs posted on social media are viewed by millions around the world.

Kanchi is a nine-year-old Labrador mix, and Kali a two-year-old Golden Retriever and German Shepherd mix. Lama also has two street rescues, Gori and Khaire. And Gori now has a daughter, Pari.

By now, karzen_kanchi has 63,500 followers on Instagram, with his most popular video getting over 60 million views. Kanchi and Kali have just returned home to Dolakha from an adventurous trek to Phoksundo and Rara.

“Ever since I was little, I have had a profound love for dogs,” Lama explained to Nepali Times after his trip. “This devotion led me to try to rescue as many street dogs as possible.”

Kanchi and Kali are stars on social media posts because they are the better trained ones. Lama began posting Kanchi on social media following the pandemic lockdown, and was inspired by YouTube videos of similar dog influencers.

“We immediately received so much love and support from viewers,” he recalled. “People asked me to continue posting her, noticing how disciplined she was, which encouraged me even more.”

Kanchi was brought home the day after Lama’s daughter, Karzen, was born, which explains his social media handle. He says they are the “two sweethearts” in his life.

Kanchi was camera shy at first, and it took some time and training. Kali was quicker to follow commands. Now, the two furry friends are fan favourites, and know exactly when to look cute on camera.

Both dogs love to travel and have accompanied Lama in treks across Nepal to Gosainkunda, Tilicho, and more recently Phoksundo and Rara— all trails to Himalayan lakes along several days of hard climbs over rough terrain.

“When it comes to trekking, they lap with excitement. They love playing in large fields and relish the view of the Himalaya,” he said. “Of course, it is more difficult travelling with dogs. Especially when staying at homestays and tea houses where some do not accept them. But it is all worth it.”

On a recent trip to Dolpo, staff at a lodge were hesitant about Kanchi and Kali in the beginning, but were soon won over by their friendliness. Local dogs cannot make them out, and sometimes create trouble by barking at the two pooches in their fancy jackets.

The trek to Tilicho in late September proved especially difficult for the trio because of heavy snowfall that hit Manang, but they braved the freezing cold together. Said Lama: “They are fearless when they’re with me.”