Team Zeus feeds over 300 dogs everyday

Yangyel Lhaden

A group of 15 volunteers, calling themselves Zeus, is set on a big task this National Day.

They will feed more than 3,000 dogs around Thimphu on the day to pay tribute to the  Wangchuck dynasty.

Zeus – not the king of all gods in Greek mythology, but is the dog of their founder.

Zeus accompanies the group every day on feeding trips. The group’s founder, Thinley Norbu said that the group has been feeding the strays for the past 192 days.

The group feeds about 320 dogs in lower and upper Babesa, Dantak area, Olakha, and Changjiji daily and uses three bags of rice, seven kg of chicken, and vegetable soup.

The group also rescue, sterlise, and treat dogs for tick and flee, and deworming. The group has rescued 55 puppies so far and facilitated the adoption of 45 puppies.

The group was inspired by His Majesty’s initiative to feed stray dogs during the nationwide lockdown.

For the National Day, the group has about 100 volunteers and has raised nearly Nu 150,000.

The group hopes to raise Nu 150,000 for the National Day and if more money would be raised the group is aiming to feed more dogs and use the surplus money in the construction of dog shelter.

The mass feeding coordinator for the National day, Bleu  Dorji, said that it was not possible to sterilise every dog and it was a moral responsibility of the residents to take care of strays in their community.

Thinley Norbu, who has a tourism firm, said that waste was their biggest concern and the Covid-19 protocols for the mass feeding on the National Day.

Two cars would be used at every location: one to feed and the other to collect the waste. The volunteers would be provided with gloves, face masks, and handwashing facilities.

Getting fund is a problem according to Thinley Norbu.

Thinley Norbu said that there were around 17,000 stray dogs in Thimphu alone and wished to register as Civil Society Organisation to feed more dogs and to seek possible foreign aid.