a humane street dog

I do love dogs but not to the extent of those who own one. After moving to chennai, I never wanted to have one because we lived in a flat. “Why rear a dog and clean its shit”, is my stand. our CPWD campus was infested with stray dogs, which were harmless if not friendly. I always treat them with suspicion and never let my daughters go near them. I disliked them.

One day on our way to the park, we saw a litter of puppies. My daughters were pretty excited to see them and wanted to stay back and observe the pups having fun. Few minutes later they ran towards my children. But I scared them away. They moved away wagging their tails. From then on everyday we used to just watch them play and my heart softened a bit for pups. One evening at around 7.30 when we returned home from the park, my younger daughter Barbara two years old ran wildly, with me and Lauren following her. There were no streetlights and she tumbled on a dog, an adult one. She knocked over so hard, I suppose and my blood went cold.. I feared that stray creature might maul her. The dog too was shaken out. But the dog just slunk away slightly wagging its tail as if an apology to have been in Barbara’s way. I carried my little one and saw the dog a few feet away getting ready to rest its head. The dog so kindly let my daughter be. I thought seriously about it and I knew that animal established its superiority over me by just one non-action and non-human behavior. I understand why some people show extraordinary love to their pet dogs. Now when my neighbor tells me about her sick dog, it makes sense to me. I too love my neighbours dog Tinku though I do not know what glimpses of greatness and magnanimity it has shown to its owner. Nowadays I hesitate to call a dog a dog. But I ask dog owners for the dog’s name if I were to address it.

Even today I don’t wish to own a dog. I just can’t forego vacations and family gatherings to tend to my pet. May be my girls will bring home one after they grow up because I know they are dog lovers. I’ve seen their overwhelming love for dogs when I pretend to ignore them. The most funniest thing is that my elder daughter has started giving names to street dogs and told me that one day she will own a dog and name it ‘Bruno Joel’. I was shocked because Joel is my family name.