Spotty

An abandoned pup in Chennai got a happy-ever-after home with Sashi Nair's family. In Sashi's words:

After Nancy passed away a few years ago, there was a vacuum we felt at home and for long we did nothing to fill it. She was a dachshund but was at home exchanging pleasantries with Brownie and other dogs in our colony every time I took her out for a walk. I had by then (after she died) got hooked on to adopting an Indian dog or a mongrel and decided to wait a while.

One Sunday I saw an advertisement in The Hindu classifieds. It talked about a mongrel pup available for adoption. I immediately called and on the other side was this grandmother with almost flawless diction, urging me gently to take the last pup home. I then spoke to her son who was more than happy to let go of the pup. Two days later my daughter and I drove down to their home near Loyola College and soon we found in our hands Scotchy (she was already named) and her playthings.

Scotchy came home and slept peacefully. She was such a beautiful pup that several times strangers would walk up to me to ask what breed she was. To cut a long story short, Scotchy did not stay with us for long. One day when there was rain and thunder and lightning, she just disappeared. The front door must have been open, but she was missing and all attempts to locate her proved futile. Even today, when I think of her a lump forms in my throat and I wonder where she might be. Could she have been taken away by someone who had fallen for her charms? Perhaps I'll never know.

Thereafter there was not much conversation about dogs and pups at home. Until Vidya Reddy who runs an NGO called Tulir - Centre for Prevention and Healing of Child Sexual Abuse, called me one day to say there was an abandoned pup on the road she had found - he looked like a Dalmatian-cross she said, and asked if I'd take him. On the spur of the moment, I said yes. The following day, Vidya brought the pup to the neighbourhood vet, one she knew. And that was where I first met Spotty. He was fast asleep and hardly woke up as I took him away in the car.

Spotty in some ways reminded me of Scotchy - the relentless wagging of tail, the hyperactivity, and the seemingly endless appetite for food. Today, Spotty has his various favourite spots. He basks outside in the sunshine in the morning, rests outside our front door towards noon and has his siesta in the garage after lunch. For company he has good old Brownie and another absolutely charming female I just haven't been able to name. Maybe I will soon. These two are inseparable and some day I must take pictures of both of them playing and frolicking like there was no tomorrow.

Text and photos: Sashi Nair
Chennai

Puppy and Poongili join the gang

Above: Proton, the first of the gang


Above: Poongili (Poongy)


Above: Puppy, Poongy's mum







Puppy was the alpha dog of our old neighbourhood. She was a semi-pet of a neighbour’s kid, but had not received any formal care or food. After Proton arrived, we started really noticing her for the first time, though she had been around for a year already. She had had her first litter and looked quite emaciated. What began as a casual mid-day meal scheme, changed into thrice daily feeding sessions, with Puppy moving bag and baggage into our yard. She had changed greatly for the better by then. Her coat was gleaming, she had filled out beautifully, became very playful and was almost painfully devoted to us.

Before we knew it, Litter Two arrived. This time six chubby guys were in our garden. Poongili was one of them. Through the internet, we were able to find homes for all of them. But Poongy was returned back to us by the people who took her, due to their own reasons. Till then, though these two girls got the same care as Proton, somehow the prospect of formally adopting them
(three dogs!!) was a little scary. This situation, though comfortable, could not be prolonged as we had to shift house and a decision had to be taken about these guys.

To the eternal credit of my parents (who were against even one dog two years ago), we formally adopted Puppy and Poongy in October last year. Puppy enjoys her life as a house pet now, and has colonized the sofa. Maybe to make up for her difficult early life, she spends her time alternating between sleeping, eating and getting her head scratched. (Tough to believe she ever looked underweight, she looks like a sausage now).

Poongy is very active, being quite young, and spends her time playing crazy games with Proton. Their favourite sport is to try to grab Puppy unawares, but she has a knack of suddenly flipping over when they do that ( as can be seen in the first snap). Poongy also has a tendency to expand horizontally like her mother, and is usually on a strict diet and walking schedule.

Proton has become much easier to handle now, as he has an outlet for his excess energy. Having three dogs at home is not easy, and my parents bear most of the brunt, but it has been very, very worthwhile overall. They smile most of the time, and life at home has become happier than ever.

Susmita Iyer,
Chennai

Rajashree's note: Inspired by Susmita, her neighbour adopted an INDog some time ago! Click here for her earlier story on Proton.