Why I gave up interviewing celebrities to rescue street dogs in India in midlife – and you can too

It was 2014 and on paper, my life looked great. I was living with a good friend in a lovely part of London. I was working as a full time novelist, alongside being a journalist interviewing major celebrities like Daniel Radcliffe. I was earning good money and happily single again, after a long term relationship had ended. 

I could do what I wanted, when I wanted and spend what I wanted.  And yet – it wasn’t enough. As nice as it all was, things were starting to feel a bit shallow. Buying more clothes or having a facial wasn’t going to satisfy me, not in the long term anyway. So what would?

I have always loved animals and dogs in particular. A family holiday to India some years earlier had left a lasting impact on me, when I’d seen a dog dragging itself along the road with broken back legs after being hit by a car. I knew I liked India. I could afford to take a few months out. This time I could do something. 

Hitting the internet, it didn’t take me long to come across an animal charity in Rajasthan called the Tree of Life for Animals (TOLFA). I liked the fact they were a smaller charity and had a holistic approach. They were looking for volunteers to be part of their nurturing team: cuddling orphaned puppies and giving vulnerable animals TLC. ‘Easy,’ I thought. ‘I can do that.’  One night after dinner with friends, using white wine as Dutch courage, I booked a return flight. On October 1st, six months after I’d had the initial idea, I was on a plane to Delhi. 

‘I was overwhelmed’

I grew up in the country with animals, but nothing prepares you for walking into a frontline animal charity for the first time. Especially in a country like India. The sounds, the smells, the sight of wonky-legged shelter dogs running up to meet you. I spent the first week in tears. As much as I knew they were in the best place, I was overwhelmed at the sight of all the broken bodies and injuries. Road traffic casualties are high in India and it’s common to see paralysed puppies. It felt hopeless. I wanted to go home. There were so many of them. What could I do? 

One morning I was sat in the puppy yard crying (again), when I felt a nudge on my leg. One of the paralysed puppies I’d just been crying about had shuffled across on his bottom and put his head on my lap. He was comforting me. That was the turning point. If this little dog could get on with it, so could I. I was there to make a difference, no matter how small, and that was enough. 

I have been out to India most years since and I am now an ambassador for TOLFA.  There are lots of amazing recoveries and the spirit of these incredible animals never ceases to amaze me. I only post the nice things on Instagram, but animal rescue is not for the faint hearted. There are a lot of dogs who don’t make it. Too young, too sick, too much against them. 

‘Every life is worth something’

I still have bad days, but it has made me realise that every life is worth something, no matter how short. I also love the gear change volunteering gives me: I am out in the fresh air, doing practical things and being part of a large, friendly team. It helps if you like the country you’re in, as you do need time out. 

When I tell people what I do, there are two responses. Either: ‘I’d want to bring them all back home’ (you do) and: ‘I’d be in tears the whole time, I couldn’t cope with it.’ Getting upset doesn’t make you weak, it means you care. If you can cope with the reality of volunteering in animal welfare and focus on the positives (much like dogs), it is so rewarding and worthwhile. I would still swap street dogs for celebrities any day. Just don’t buy new white trainers to wear, because they won’t last a minute. 

Jo’s tips for animal volunteering

• Do your research and find a reputable charity that has an organised volunteer programme 

• Find something that you are genuinely interested in. It doesn’t have to be volunteering in India, it could be a local organisation or cause that you care about

• If hands-on volunteering isn’t for you, you can donate, fundraise or offer up your skills. Small charities run on a shoestring and always need help

TOLFA no longer accept volunteers but you can find out more about their work at www.tolfa.org