Dear friends of Joe Mickey,

I’ve been struggling this month to answer questions about having a memorial for Joe.

The circumstances simply do not allow for an appropriate observance due to the pandemic, as well as providing a way for friends across the United States and India to be included. I woke up one morning realizing that the best way we can all celebrate — individually and collectively — Joe’s life in a meaningful way would be to establish a memorial fund with the Dharamsala Animal Rescue (DAR) a nonprofit located in northern India.

We were first introduced to this impressive organization in 2013 when we sought help for a street dog outside our building in McLeod Ganj. A neighbor-friend called DAR for us, a van was sent to our location and the vets took over. Before they drove away, we asked how much we owed and were told their services were free, but that any donation would be appreciated.

This episode was the first, but not the last time we called upon DAR to help other street dogs, including one hit by a car. Meanwhile, Joe and I looked into this remarkable nonprofit whose original primary focus and mission was to wipe out rabies, which was a serious source of deaths by bitten young children. A mutual friend introduced us to DAR’s founder, Deb Jarrett. Deb’s compassion and empathy toward street dogs and concern for the bitten children and their families melted my heart.

We watched DAR expand with their successes to include additional services and new projects. Over the years, as the needs in the geographical area they serve continued to change and grow, so did the staffing, facility, volunteer corps and financial requirements. The people behind this animal rescue operation helped change the attitudes of the Indians and Tibetans in that region toward the suffering of homeless dogs and cats.

“We truly just focus on dogs and cats these days. We just don't have the skill set to treat all the animals here. We encourage the government vets to manage the large animals and Gopalpur Zoo and the Wildlife Office to take care of wildlife,” Deb Jarrett explained.

Deb recently wrote to me, “We still see approximately one rabid dog per month at the clinic. What has improved tremendously is the knowledge of the community in knowing that they need to immediately do a post-bite 15-minute wash and get to Zonal Hospital for post-bite protocol. We also just completed our annual rabies vaccination camp in partnership with feeders and Tibet Charity. Together we vaccinated 2,376 dogs, which is still only a drop in the bucket for the entire Kangra area. We have a video on the vaccination camp and rabies stats at to view HERE.”

The last time Joe and I were there, in 2019, we were surprised and very pleased to witness the same people — including some small businesses — who would chase away a street dog before were now putting out scraps of food and maintaining access to water. Some of these same dogs had been adopted!

It had been our hope to return yet again at some point, to stay in the area longer, and be able to do more for this dedicated and skilled group of animal caregivers. With Joe’s untimely death, this joint sense of purpose is no longer going to come to fruition.

However, we will not be completely thwarted by this forced transition. I have been working with Deb Jarrett to establish the Remembering Joe Mickey Memorial Fund to raise funds for DAR’s Street Animal Rescue Project.

Deb tells related to me current needs:

500 dogs are rescued each year (approximately) in need of help, mostly from car accidents, mange, dog fights, abuse, or just being sick from a variety of diseases.
$50 is the average cost to get a dog from rescue to recovery . This only covers medicine, treatments, food, etc, but not the salaries for vets, vet staff, and the fuel for the rescue van.
t$25/$35 spay/neuter/vaccinates dogs which helps stabilize population growth and eradicate rabies. This cost includes suture, anesthesia, rabies vaccination, etc.

I encourage you to learn more by visiting their website, as well as read articles on their well-rounded blog, The DARling.

You can also follow them on social media to see their daily work and view how your funds are put to use.

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube

Some of you may recall the story that Joe would walk down, however many blocks we were living to the tiny grocery store on Temple Road, above from His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Temple, to pick up large bags of dry dog food that he had to order special as no one else was buying dog food, and then carry it over his shoulder all the way back. This was a local spectacle, especially when several of the dogs we fed every day began to follow him into town and then walk back beside him.

I can’t imagine any better way for us to celebrate Joe’s life than to participate in this memorial project. He would be pleased and proud.

If you choose to make a donation, you will receive a thank you directly from the Dharamsala Animal Rescue organization with tax information for your records.

With love and gratitude for the commitment to and efforts by the Dharamsala Animal Rescue organization and to everyone whose donations allow them to continue their vital work, I thank you for helping to keep my humble husband’s memory alive in all our hearts.

Joe and I shared more than three decades of our lives with each other. We had many adventures and journeyed across the United States and up and down both coasts multiple times, as well as throughout India and Sri Lanka. We made every day count and slept peacefully each night. Our lives together were joyful and always supported by our profound love for each other. What more can one ask from a soulmate?

I can’t imagine any better way for us to celebrate Joe’s life than to participate in this memorial project. He would be pleased and proud.

If you choose to make a donation, there are many options. If you would like to send a check, please mail to:

Dharamsala Animal Rescue

133 Terre Mar Drive

North Kingstown, RI 02852

Be sure to provide your address if you want to receive a thank you from the Dharamsala Animal Rescue organization with tax information for your records.

With love and gratitude for the commitment and efforts by the Dharamsala Animal Rescue organization and to everyone whose donations allow them to continue their vital work, I thank you for helping to keep my humble husband’s memory alive in all our hearts.

Sincerely, Connie Korbel-Mickey

Remembering Joe Mickey Memorial Fund.

Team Members