It was a pleasant November morning when my mother called me up in desperation. I rushed home to find a dog that had fallen in the storm drain next to my house. The dog was shivering and lying limp. I got down into the drain and talked gently to the new friend in our locality. Instantly, his tail began to wag. The dog was a very old abandoned jet black golden retriever cross breed with a dirty collar around his neck. He was tick infested as well. When I looked into his eyes, I was shocked and burst into tears — both eyes were covered with puss and he was blind. I opened his mouth to find that he had no lower teeth.
I took the dog out of the drain and brought him to our animal shelter at Shaktinagar, Mangalore. He was groomed, fed and shifted to our permanent ward. The eye was cleaned every day and he was finally assured that he was safe. Two months later, one of our volunteers visited and learnt about the plight of this black dog. She volunteered to sponsor his upkeep and named him Blacky.
A pet is a pet for life — a part of the family. Abandoning one on the streets after taking care of the pet for 13-14 years and leaving him/her to struggle against all odds is an act of cruelty. Abandoning a pet at a shelter is no less cruel as many of them die of depression following the loss of their homes and family members. Adopt a pet only if you can give him a commitment for the rest of his life. And consider adopting an animal like Blacky from a shelter. If you cannot keep a pet, sponsor one at a rescue centre.
When you visit the shelter, take your sponsored animal for a walk and spend time with him. They need love and care, not just food and medication.
As for Blacky, he now lives at our shelter and has an owner to look after his needs, both medical and otherwise. Though his eyes are permanently damaged, he is no longer in pain and fear. He is finally home.
(The writer is a lawyer and Hon. Trustee of Animal Care Trust, Mangalore. She can be reached at sumatara@yahoo.com)
