FEEDING BEGINS

Although I expected to give myself time to settle in, maybe see some of the sights I missed previously, it was impossible not to start feeding the dogs along my path. As I mentioned, they did not look so good, and there was a major mange outbreak. The hair will grow back on its own, and most cases will clear up, but the itching and the dogs scratching the itch can lead to quick infections and more misery. So, a simple remedy of appropriate medications works. The actual feeding itself can be tricky. The street cows and the bulls are hungry as well, and very interested in anyone who looks as though they may be carrying food, and even more interested in someone who appears as though they are dispensing food ... and believe me, they are watching! It became a game of find the dogs, look out for hungry bulls, feed fast, don't fall off a cliff, and move on quickly. The puppies were the ones who were having the most difficult time surviving. They need their protein, and Rishikesh is a vegetarian city, so milk, or curd had to be found for the pups. It's dispensed in plastic bags, tied with a rubber band. So, I roamed around looking for the nearest milk stalls, and would have to make a mixture on the road of the milk and bread, rice, oatmeal, etc.

Where to pour the milk?? There's a major problem of excess plastic water bottles in India, the empties are everywhere. Well, cut the bottoms and they become great containers for milk, curd (liquid yogurt), and food.