Kukur Tihar: Festival of honoring dogs

We celebrate Kukur Tihar to honor the special bond between humans and dogs. Let us hear from some of the founders of an organization run for animals as you celebrate the special day dedicated to worshiping dogs in Nepal.

"For Kukur tihar, we are organizing vaccination programs in Lalitpur, Kathmandu, and Bhaktapur. We actually carry out the program where it is required," says Irfan Khan, founder and president of the non-profit organization Sankalpa, which aims to provide medical and humane care to the needy.

They have done vaccination programs in many places, not just in Kukur Tihar. "There are many people who are cruel to dogs on other days but worship them on Kukur tihar," he says.

He simply believes that people should stop pretending for a day and show their genuine concern and love for the dogs.

“Whenever we get a call and go to treat a dog, the main problem I see is that the person who calls me does not want to touch the dog because they are disgusted by it," Khan explains.

"I've been bitten by both dogs and cats many times but that simply does not mean I am going to stop helping them," he continues.

He also encourages people to speak up for animals whenever they witness cruelty. "Rather than making a video and posting it on social media, it's better to act right away." If they truly care about animals, they should take a stand." he adds.

Similarly, Shreejana Sahi Thakuri, founder of Shree's Animal Rescue Nepal, says, "It's been three years since Pushpalata Acharya aka Bullet Ama's son Andeep Acharya visited our foundation in Kukur Tihar." They arrive in groups of 100-150 on bullet bikes to celebrate Kukur Tihar. "It's the happiest day of our lives," Thakuri says, smiling.

It's wonderful to see someone who genuinely loves animals, but Thakuri wishes them not to worship dogs on Kukur tihar if they pretend to love them one day and are cruel the next. "I've even made a post mentioning our mayor Balen Shah to stop celebrating the Kukur tihar festival because the cruelty is only increasing day by day," she claims.

Thakuri has seen it all, from throwing acid and boiling water to slaughtering animals. "We can see animal cruelty in Terai more. It is not only our responsibility to advocate for animals, but it is also yours”, she explains.

According to her, even if a person neuters the dogs in their neighborhood, the population of dogs will be reduced. Dogs give birth at least 2-3 times a year; neutering them is a permanent solution to population control that will also reduce road accidents and rabies.

(In this Kukur Tihar NepalNews would like to request you all to not only feed the dogs for a day but to actually be nice to them. And please avoid using powder colors on them because it is not good for their skin. We hope you celebrate the festival responsibly.)