Kalle’s cross-continental journey

The call came from Tokha one morning last autumn. A dog had been hit by a vehicle, his leg seriously injured.  

The Kathmandu Animal Treatment Centre (KAT) emergency team quickly mobilised to rescue the dog, and brought him in for surgery to its clinic in Mandikhatar. His left front leg was so badly mashed up that it had to be amputated.

Since the dog could not be released back on the street, he would spend his days recovering among other rescue animals at the shelter. He was named Kalle, but his battles were not over.

As he healed from surgery, Kalle battled other infections. With sheer willpower and a positive mental attitude, the dog did not just survive but thrived.

Working at KAT Centre at the time was a Belgian volunteer named Antonia, who had come to Nepal on a holiday. Antonia and Kalle became best friends as she nursed him back to health, feeding and caring for him every day. Kalle loved her back.

And despite his difficult life on the streets, Kalle healed to become a spirited, determined dog, bonding with the people who had come to his aid. Antonia’s time in Nepal was coming to an end, and she returned to Belgium to complete her studies. But she missed Kalle terribly, and worried about his well-being.

She decided to try to adopt Kalle and got back in touch with the Centre in Kathmandu. The adoption process was almost as complicated as the surgery. Samir Thapa, the doctor who had performed Kalle’s operation, worked through the complexities of international adoption and the logistical challenges of getting Kalle to Europe. 

Then, just as all the paperwork was in order, Kalle fell ill again with an infection. Antonia was determined to nurse him back to health, and returned to Kathmandu in June Nto take Kalle to his forever home.

Kalle is adjusting well to his new family in a new country on the other side of the world, faraway from the teeming streets of Kathmandu.