CBA x Dharamshala Animal Rescue (DAR): Exploring empathy through stories of dogs

CBA collaborated with Dharamshala Animal Rescue (DAR), an organization based in Himachal Pradesh committed to the welfare of animals and dedicated to ending human–street dog conflict. As part of this collaboration, we hosted a community children’s book reading session centered around 100 Dogs, a playful and engaging book that celebrates the many personalities dogs can have—each one unique, just like us.

Reading the book 100 dogs

The reading sparked conversations among the participants about their own experiences with dogs—be it street dogs, pet dogs, or those they encounter in their neighborhoods. These stories brought out a range of emotions: fear, affection, amusement, and deep empathy.

Collectively recounting stories of more than 100 dogs

To close the session, the group came together for a heartwarming collective activity—typing out the names of 100 dogs they knew, remembered, or had interacted with, each with their reflection on that dog’s personality. The result was a compilation of memories that honored the individuality of these dogs which deepened the group’s sense of connection—not only to dogs, but to one another. Collectively, we raised ₹5000 for DAR.

The group after the reading

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