Sancho
Yesterday K and I went bride-hunting for Sancho. Now that he is 2-plus, and mooning after the bitches on the street, we thought we should find him a girl. Sancho is the third-generation dog in this house; his dad and his grandma were born here. Never been keen on a breed dog, we thought we will go to the PFA ( People for Animals) shelter in the outskirts of the city.
There were about 70-80 dogs there; all rescued from the streets. Each dog has a tale of sorrow, a tale of human cruelty behind it. The white Labrador Retriever was a breeder's dog; when she became too old the breeder threw it to the streets. She is such a jovial girl who could have made a home bright with its happiness. The two-year old Rottweiler with 3 and a half leg was found limping near the military cantonment with its right hindleg full of maggots. She is so affectionate and playful. The caretaker said that all the little puppies sleep with her in the night. The stories are too many.
The mangy non-descript dogs were so playful and friendly. The lady who cooks for them said that these street dogs loved more than the regular domesticated ones because they know they have been rescued and cared for there. There were less than a month old female puppies. Old big dogs who were thrown out of the houses – just because they were too old and sickly.
Here are some photos
Breeder's Lab Retreiver, Ammachi
A possible candidate?
K, Ammachi and the three-legged old man
Aged, but dignified still
Connecting...
Doggonadog!
'Aishwarya Rai' ( I was captivated by her 'kohl-ed' eyes)
We couldn't decide on a girl. I wanted a mature dog, but K said it is better to have a puppy who could be trained in our ways. We had some bitter experience sometime ago when we adopted a bitch which was left behind because the owners left for abroad.
As we were wandering around we saw a very old dog with three legs. His fur was almost fully gone. He came hopping towards us – then turned to K. It went towards K and looked up at him. K was trying hard to maintain an expressionless face as he caressed the old dog which even most dog-lovers would hesitate to touch. There seemed to be something connecting them, this old dog and my young son. There was such love and gentleness in the dog's face that I, with such a long association with dogs starting from my birth haven't seen.
As we were about to leave, I saw a dog lying still in its cage. I called the caretaker and he was shocked; he said it was alive half-an-hour ago. That dog he said was found bleeding and with broken bones, beaten to near-death by people who thought it was rabid, which it wasn't. The consulting vets had done all they could; the dog died probably because of internal injuries.
My dear friends, in this country of ours where we listen everyday to stories of criminal amassing of wealth, where many of us live in comparative comfort, please spare a thought for these dumb creatures. Spare a moment, spare a little money for the poor creatures, which knows only to love you. Wherever you are, support those organisations and individuals who are trying to help them. Even if you cannot adopt a dog, at least help to take care of the homeless. Teach your children to love and care for animals and other forms of life. It is only by loving and respecting other forms of life that share this planet with us, can we ever learn to love and respect ourselves.
******* Balachandran V, Trivandrum, 25.04.2011
You did such a great thing by going to the shelter instead of buying one from a breeder.
ReplyDeleteCould you please post a link to their website here so that people could donate?
Thanks.
Gayatri
Mr B @ really an inspiring and promising post for dog lovers like me.. then, when I think more about it, oh my poor dear dogs, with all the love I have for you guys, I am forced to feel more for some others rigth at this moment.. i have fellow beings being born deformed and undergoing many a mutation because of a pesticide called endOsulfan and none of us do anything except crib and put the cause as a face book status.. with a public interest litigation emerging for almost everything down here, with people craving for social justice and people craving for attention in the name of social justice, I couldn't find any PIL on this matter.. and when I talked about it with a practicing friend in the Kerala High Court, all he had to say was, if none else does it, why don't you draft a letter to the Chief Justice and it will be taken as a public interest litigation..
ReplyDeleteeyes say it all
ReplyDeletenice pics.
I am out of words. I dont know what to say. Why would people treat these animals with such cruelty?
ReplyDeleteI often keep seeing a cute dog - jet black fur and handsome loitering the streets. Its behavior shows that it was a bred dog in some household. But why was it abounded? I dont know. It does not mingle with the street dogs as well because they shoo it away. I thought of taking it home. But there is no one to look after it after we are gone to work. I feel very sad for these creatures.
I had two dogs in my locality , born and bought up in streets and cared and fed by the entire locality. Lately we had a third one too , which come following me and my sister all the way from Jayanagar to my place :P. He is a cute lil dog whom we have named as shangy . The other two are named as julie and rani . Though the other two didn't took the new company with happiness but things seems to settle down between them. I wish the others also can get some home :)
ReplyDeleteTouching story.
ReplyDeleteI know Snacho.He is such a nice boy.There is that look of devotion in his eyes.
Where is this place located in Trivandrum?
I liked the Aiswarya look alike!She has such sentimental eyes.
So what did you decide finally?
Make sure the horoscopes are aligned.
ReplyDeleteIn India,keeping pets is like earning a drivers license. You get one , but you seldom have the knowledge the basic civic sense to drive on public roads.We see that every day. keeping dogs is something like this. You keep one , but do not understand the animal.
@Gayathri: Thank you so much for showing an interest. You may write to Mrs.Leela Latif of PFA. She can be contacted at pfa2002tvm@yahoo.com. I called her yesterday and she said she would give the details of their bank account at this post, but she is yet to do so.
ReplyDelete@Ousu: I fully endorse what you said. But while there are so many of us taking up the cause of Endosulfan as well as other issues related to humans, the cause of animals, esp., stray dogs, are not supported by many. Do what you can, for both.
ReplyDelete@sm. Yes, it does.
@Insignia: There are many organisations in Bangalore like PFA and others who work for the cause of animals. Call up any one of them and they will pick up the dog and would find a home for it.
@Neha: Thanks for visiting. Do what you can for the strays.
@Doc: I will be going there again this Sunday with lots of eats. I may decide on the pup; I respect K's views. Perhaps when you come to Tvm, we can make a visit to this place.
@Anil: You do have a way of making a joke out of anything, haven't you?
Mr B - i remember some eminent people with the 'gandhi' surname take up the cause of dogs and other mis-treated animals..but once emerged into the main stream politics, all the animal love shown till then never ever surfaced.. maybe the cause was only a mean for her to reach the goal..
ReplyDeletemy first dog was adopted from SPCA in Pune, when i was in 4th standard.. it was a cross breed puppy and she grew to be the most intelligent dog in our locality..she was with us for 13 years and den succumbed to pneumonia.. most of our neighbors trusted this dog, she was the grandmom of the locality and people always paid special attention every time she barked at an odd hour..
@Ousu: You are talking about Maneka Gandhi; no need to be discreet about that. I always say that one should see the individual and his/her action/thought distinctly. As individuals we all may have shortcomings as well as admirable qualities. When you have to judge a person, judge them not as a whole but by their different qualities; less would be the heartburn! :-)
ReplyDeleteManeka, as you would know, has done a lot for animals. In fact, PFA is still headed by her, though the different units work independently.
It was nice to read about your dog. What I can't understand is when people say, oh I had a lovely dog, it died and i am so heartbroken and I can't bear the pain of loss again so I won't keep another dog. Death and loss are facts of life; the earlier we accept that, the better would be our lives. Whether it is a car or a wife or a child or a dog, we are bound to lose them someday, but that should not prevent us from having it.
Why don't you write about your old dog? I mean, blog about it?
Reading the post and ur comments I do agree with you about how can someone say if a dog died they wont have another, I am a dog lover and We have a dog at home whihc is now the thrid generation too, And we have 3 more , I had to come to UK.. and because of the time and othr things I have not been able to get one here,
ReplyDeleteIt would make me sad leaving him alone at home for so many hours ..
I hope a bride is chosen..
When we had moved to a city back in india there was this big female dog, which came from no where one day and we kids called it BANTO as a laugh and a few months later She became a integral part of the whole Gali we had n five houses and she lived in all of the houses , stayed with us for 4-5 years and such a beautiful animal we still dont know ehre it came from or who it belonged to but in the end It was ours and we grew up with her..
One day here in UK once when i have more time I will surly get one ..
My collegue here she is mad about dogs and has 3 pets , one died recently and she was so upset so her husband got her another, sometimes while i am on my run early morning i meet her walking the dogs and they are beautiful all of them come from a Rescue centre ...
Bikram's
@Gayathri: The PFA Trivandrum has the following bank account. If you or any other reader would care to donate money to the organisation, please note the following:
ReplyDeletePeople For Animals
a/c no. 5700 7125 931
IFS CODE: SBTR 0000213
State Bank of Travancore, Pettah, Trivandrum.
You can also write to Mrs.Leela Latif pfatvm2002@yahoo.com
ReplyDeletethats really thoughtful on ur part to take pains for bride hunting for ur pet!
ReplyDeleteaishwariya is soo cute :)