What the hell is up?
In this episode of Jamie’s Corner, I sit down with Anmol, an animal rescuer and caretaker at Govardhan Eco Village in India, where I’ve been spending the past month during my Jivamukti Yoga training.
We talk about the reality of animals in India — from the millions of stray dogs living on the streets to the complicated relationship people have with cows, dairy, and traditional culture.
Anmol shares his story of growing up eating animals while rescuing them… and the moment he realized he couldn’t keep doing both.
We also dive into some big questions:
• Why do people sometimes harm animals?
• What is the most effective way to reduce suffering?
• Is euthanasia ever ethical?
• What role does spirituality and yoga play in animal rights?
• And can traditions evolve toward greater compassion?
We also talk about the real solution to the stray dog crisis in India: spay and neuter programs that prevent millions of animals from being born into suffering. Helping animals here is surprisingly affordable — and Anmol has started an animal shelter here with two operating rooms for spay and neuter costing under $25 per surgery.
This conversation is honest, sometimes uncomfortable, and ultimately hopeful. Because change doesn’t happen overnight… but it does start with a conversation.
DONATING TO ANMOL AND SHELTER:
For donations abroad the following links could be used (just specify in description "for dog shelter")USAhttps://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-to-change-lives-5250Other countrieshttps://shareyourcare.com/#donate-syc
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🕙 CHAPTER MARKERS:
00:00 Cold open: “Why are we drinking another species’ milk?”
00:52 Intro: Jamie + Anmol at the Govardhan Eco Village
01:54 What this episode covers (solutions + Anmol’s story)
02:17 Growing up in India + how animals are treated
04:47 The contradiction: rescuing animals while eating them
06:45 Why cruelty happens (frustration, survival, scapegoating)
09:27 How Govardhan Eco Village’s animal care evolved
12:00 Sharon Gannon’s impact
16:43 How Anmol got into animal rescue
20:05 Burnout, grief, and staying in the work
21:40 Biggest solution in India: spay/neuter + community care
24:08 Euthanasia: karma vs ending suffering
26:23 Jamie’s personal story about her dog
31:58 The temple dog Mangul + animals and death
35:42 The stray dog crisis + why sterilization is the answer
37:21 What animals live at GEV + gaushala context
42:01 Dairy ethics debate + “why not outlaw dairy?”
50:10 The ideal future: stop breeding domesticated animals into existence
55:56 “We’re thriving, not surviving” (vegan is possible)
01:00:22 Future vision + building programs/sanctuary
01:05:14 Handling resistance: plant seeds, don’t impose
01:15:56 How far donations go + wrap / links
