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Dog's day out!
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A pet's determined wait for its owner reflects compassion of different kind
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REUNION! Lucy with her owners and the author
July 6, was World Joneses Day. A day where all the dog lovers across the globe get their pets vaccinated. That a lost dog chose that day to enter our lives and change us forever is a great coincidence.
A desperate phone call from my cousin Srikanth who lives in the bustling Anand Bagh had me rushing to his house that morning. A white Pomeranian, badly bitten by stray dogs had limped into his house and was in a state of shock. Refusing to accept any food, the poor dog looked very weak. By then it was late evening, and I preferred to take the dog under my custody . Dr. Muralidhar, a veterinarian, instructed his colleagues, Dr. Nagraj and Dr. Gareema to get the dog treated free of charge. The dog was dehydrated. It was administered IV fluids and antibiotics, which almost took three long hours. At least the dog seemed to be out of danger, and we took it home, where our grown up big dogs were desperately waiting for their supper. I hid the little one in the outhouse for the night so as to keep her off the others.
The next morning, (by then I started calling her `Chinna') I went house to house in my colony and pleaded for someone to adopt. After going through over seven houses I lost hope and thought Blue Cross would be the next destination.
But then, a kind hearted Mr. Raju, his wife Lakshmi and kids readily welcomed her and surprisingly their own Pomeranian `Pandu' accepted by wagging her tail with bright lit eyes. The limping Chinna now slowly ambled around the house smelling and searching. Did she have companions like Pandu at her own house... .?
I went back feeling content - for Chinna was undergoing treatment and she also got a wonderful new home! All the while, not for once - I thought what could be happening in Chinna's own mind. I was only concerned of her delicate health and future.
My happiness was short lived, as Mr. Raju's family expressed their fear of not been able to adopt the dog for she was refusing to have food. I requested them to keep her for the nights as she had to complete the course of antibiotic shots and fluids.
My grind started with Chinna once again! For the next one week I was taking her to the clinic for treatment every morning at Begumpet and dropping her at my in-laws place at Model Colony and taking her in the evening to Kukatpally to Mr. Raju's residence.
Growing bond
Chinna got used to me, but she never ever accepted food from me nor anyone else. And how long could I keep her alive on IV fluids? Chinna showed a marked improvement, now all bathed and fresh. Her wounds started to heal - her physical health improved but she continued to be depressed. Chinna was pinning for her master. I forcibly tried in vain to pump in water down her throat with a syringe and push a spoonful of glucose powder on her tongue only to see her spew out!
Chinna made it clear. "Find my master or no food"!! A silent yet stern, a fragile yet firm statement made by this tiny little voiceless creature, did stir my spirits. And I involuntarily plunged into action.
I requested The Hindu to carry a small news/ notice along with Chinna's picture, which they promptly did, inviting hoards of concerned callers.
Meanwhile, I designed posters and pamphlets and persuaded Radhakrishna of Rudra Graphics to provide me with free printing service. He obliged. Things seemed to be falling in place, thanks to Chinna's own spirit of yearning for a reunion with her master.
I mobilised a group of animal lovers who helped in pasting the postersAnd then came what I never expected. A kind of a revelation in my life. Not that I was not expecting to meet the master of Chinna, which eventually happened in couple of days, but knowing those hundreds of callers who expressed their concern, many of whom who lost their own pets and struggled helplessly in search of their much loved family member without whom their happiness suddenly crashed!
"Aunty, I lost my black Pomeranian over six months ago... " cried a seventh grade Ramya from Koti "if you find her, will you bring it to me?"!!
"The dog looked like my own dog which I lost in Nagpur, it could be mine... " Said Dr. Pankaj of KIMS hospital.
Love did make them blind, for hope against hope they wished somewhere someday they would their missing pet.
Like the host of people who poured into my house wishing the lost dog could be theirs! Carolyn was the first to call and alight at my house along with her daughter on the day of Chinna's appearance in the newspaper.
Sheeba vaada kutti, naanu amma... cried Carolyn in Malayalam as her daughter consoled her saying "Mamma she is not Sheeba".
Those two elderly Panjabi women came in all panting and tensed telling tales about their Kittu from Banjara Hills.
And as they met Chinna they cried Kittu, aaja beta aaja... dekh Mannan mama aaya hai... buvajee ke pass jayegi... ice cream khayegi? Veenaji looked at me helplessly and said "shall I get ice cream for her"? They knew it was not their dog.
Just like Dr. Padmavati of Padmavati Nursing Home, Himayatnagar who came along with her hospital staff with a prior announcement in the hospital that Lakshmi (their lost female pomeranian) was retrieved.
The elderly Cardio-thoracic surgeon along with her Aayamma started to sing a folk song clapping their hands Lachamma lachamma... Vishnu (their other dog) yaduru choostu unnadu, they knew she was not their Lakshmi.
Yet the song - that they used to sing for Lakshmi... tears in her eyes, the doctor left with a heavy heart, mana Lakshmi yakkada vunnado?
In fact, all of them who visited, and the moment they saw Chinna - knew that she was not their dog.
Yet hope against hope they wished some miracle might change the dog into their own pet. Surprisingly every family reacted the same way!
Calls galore
Ultimately the day came when one Mr. Madhusudhan called and the statistics of his dog matched Chinna. The moment Chinna saw him , she was at first in disbelief, shivered, wagged her tail and jumped over him and licked!! Chinna then became Lucy again!!
I requested the gentleman that I still can not handover Chinna, err... Lucy, as there was yet another desperate caller since last night hailing from Gangtok (Northeast) who resides in Defence colony, Neredmet. I tried to pacify Mrs. Mitta Adhikari after meeting the original owner. Mitta was not willing to believe that the dog was not hers.
The night before she called me and requested me to put the telephone near her- `Rosy's' ear. I obliged and Mitta talked to `Rosy' to her heart's content!
I took the dog to Anand Bagh where Mr. Madhusudhan along with wife Gouri came for the reunion. Indeed a happy moment when Lucy jumped into their arms and readily accepted water and drank to its stomach full (after over eight days!)
Mrs. Mitta Adhikari along with her daughter who was witness to the reunion congratulated Mr. Madhusudhan and said, "you are lucky, ye meri Rosy nahin hai, ye to aapki Lucy hai". The mother daughter duo walked away crying inconsolably.
Will they ever find their Rosy? Will ever Kittu jump into her Mannan Mama's arms? Will Lakshmi ever be united with Vishnu? Will Sheeba ever go to church along with her family?
As more and more callers enquired, it set me thinking Why can't all animal lovers, unite and strive to create an environment where the man's best friends are safe and warm... a home away from home?
PRATIMA SAGAR
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