Animal lover in UK dedicated herself to stray dogs in SL

26 December 2017 08:37 pm - 16 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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A heart-touching incident was reported in a foreign media where an animal lover Rachel Schofield in England had dedicated herself to focus on the charity after an eye-opening holiday to Sri Lanka exposed her to the reality of its estimated three million strays.

She had even abandoned her PHD studies, decided to sell her house and moved to a cheaper home in Wigton to focus on the charity and open a shop in Finkle Street.
It was reported that she was running a charity Help Hikkaduwa Strays from a shop in Workington where the street dog Kalu that overcame horrific conditions and neglect in Hikkaduwa was now safely sheltered.

“Street dog Kalu overcame horrific conditions and neglect in Hikkaduwa before making a miracle recovery from being run over twice and an attack which left her with one eye and a disability. She has now been rescued and is making a new life with animal lover Rachel Schofield at the charity Help Hikkaduwa Strays from a shop in Workington,” News and Star reported.

Because of Kalu's upbringing, Rachel does not know her exact age or breed but believes she is about two years old and has some German shepherd in her.

Malnourished and flea-ridden, Kalu was nursed back to health by Katharina, the charity's manager in Hikkaduwa.

Rachel said: "By sheer will she lived.

"She still absolutely loves people and for what she's been through she has an amazing nature.

"She's a typical Sri Lankan street dog with long legs and pointy ears."

"Even though her entire body is out of shape, she can run and play and she's a normal dog.

"She's got an amazing spirit and every puppy that survives those streets is a miracle."
Rachel has now dedicated her life to helping dogs in Sri Lanka and her partner Christopher Coupe also helps out, with his employer BC Agencies Ltd donating a van to the charity, the media report said.

"I actually went on holiday in Hikkaduwa and the amount of stray dogs was horrendous," she said.

"I saw an eight-week-old puppy that was skin and bones, dragging a broken leg and an old, emaciated dog that could barely stand.

"I took them to the local vets and it all started from there.

"I realised there were no facilities there to help these dogs."

The charity aims to rescue, feed and treat strays but Rachel's dream is to build a shelter in the region. The amount of donated items we've had has been absolutely unbelievable.

Word is still getting out that we're here and if we can get more people volunteering that would be absolutely brilliant,” she said and added that "Last year I personally went over there and saved 273 dogs in 10 days.

"There is a lot of fear due to not understanding over there so I'd like to be able to go over there and educate people, get them the facilities," she said.

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Comments - 16

Anton Tuesday, 26 December 2017 08:58 PM

Please adopt us as well!

malik Tuesday, 26 December 2017 08:59 PM

Good work, maybe our people here with the 2500 yrs of compassion can learn the meaning of true compassion

Tommy Wednesday, 27 December 2017 12:48 PM

Yeah. I think they already given up their compassion and mercy for dogs. Coz now the dogs came for money business and mercy chasing them showing their white pair of tooth.

ceylon Tuesday, 26 December 2017 09:02 PM

this planet for all living lives.true humans like this lady are rare and truely honest.she is a heroine. via DM Android App

Unchikun Tuesday, 26 December 2017 09:17 PM

This is heartwarming news. I do hope our people will realized this. It was not too long ago that dogs in the vicinity of University of Sri Jayawardenapura and University of Moratuwa where rounded up and murdered. The gentlemen with bold heads and yellow cloths did not care two hoots. Come Wesak , there are pandals and lanterns decorating these places. Shame!

Vipin B Tuesday, 26 December 2017 09:23 PM

What a great lady. She upholds 3 of the sathara brahma viharana Loving-kindness (metta), Compassion (karuṇa), Empathetic joy (muditha).Take a bow - you are a credit to humanity and an example to a society that is driven by materialism.

Vipin Baby Tuesday, 26 December 2017 09:29 PM

Shame on you Anton for posting such disgraceful comment for noble cause of this sort. You are a disgrace.

Wednesday, 27 December 2017 09:59 AM

...thats lower case

das Tuesday, 26 December 2017 09:33 PM

Whenever someone expresses kindness to animal, some idiot will comment that we should look after humans first.

Doug Wednesday, 27 December 2017 09:40 AM

Strict laws should be there when animals are allowed in public areas, in developed countries the owners collect their dog poo, here it is the neighbors that have to do the cleaning up.

Samlankan Wednesday, 27 December 2017 12:40 PM

Madam, please take all the stray dogs with you when you go back to London.

Sambo Wednesday, 27 December 2017 12:49 PM

Please be careful with the people of Hikkaduwa. I don't trust them for a second being a Sri Lankan.

Nandana Wednesday, 27 December 2017 01:51 PM

Sri Lanka very badly needs a birth control program for dogs. This is the only solution.

das Wednesday, 27 December 2017 08:23 PM

At last a sensible solution.

Diogenes Wednesday, 27 December 2017 02:40 PM

Malik, What bloody compassion man? Are you mad? Can you bestow your compassion upon the rabid dog that attacked the child of a tourist from France a few months ago ? All stray dogs should be eliminated. Those who want to own dogs should be made to obtain a licence on paying a reasonable amount of money to the local authority of the area. This eccentric woman should be encouraged to take a shipload of stray dogs - a gift from SL - on her return to her country!

Lord Wolfstein Wednesday, 27 December 2017 04:22 PM

Maybe too much animal love of this lady does not give anyone the right to offend her. Better too much heart than heartless.

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Animal lover in UK dedicated herself to stray dogs in SL

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