Founder, Temple Dog Rescue

Lesley Mapstone is a Canadian-British writer, documentary photographer and animal welfare advocate. She founded Temple Dog Rescue in Kathmandu in 2018, following experiences with Nepal's street dogs that profoundly changed the direction of her life.

Through Temple Dog Rescue, she has dedicated herself to rescuing, rehabilitating and finding loving homes for street dogs while working alongside local communities and veterinary professionals.

Lesley's commitment to animal welfare extends beyond rescue. As a humanitarian logistics and disaster preparedness consultant with the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), she has worked to strengthen disaster preparedness for animals in Nepal. Following the devastating floods of 2026, she led an effort to deliver dog food by helicopter to remote, inaccessible Himalayan villages she knew well.

Her photography and writing explore the relationships between animals, people and place. Her work brings together years of documentary photography and storytelling, celebrating the country's extraordinary dogs and the communities that share their lives.

At the heart of her work is a belief that compassion has the power to transform lives, both human and animal.