Ria had the odds stacked against her in the adoption circuit – she was black, female and Indian. But the young pup with eyes like glass buttons was in for some luck. Actor and ace photographer Sunder Ramu read her rescue story on Facebook through his friend, media professional Anuja Iyer, and decided to welcome her into his family, no questions asked. “I love black, and don’t believe in superstitions” says Sunder who observes that mongrels are a hardy, adaptive breed. As for people hesitating to adopt females, he says with a chuckle– “Ria weighs just over 2 kgs while my other dogs weigh about 25 kgs each – she looks like a little rat in comparison, but stands her ground. The perception of male dogs being better watchdogs is complete nonsense”.
Today, Ria has established herself as the alpha female in Sunder’s family and gleefully lords it over the other residents, both human and canine. Her rescuer Anuja reports that watching video clips of the pup in her new home is a treat. “Ria has been very lucky to have found a home like this. Sunder is very passionate about animals and takes time off his schedule to take care of her. He wants to make a difference to her life, and doesn’t distinguish between pedigrees and mongrels - that says a lot about an adopter”. She adds that once she knows that a story has a happy ending, her focus shifts quickly to the next pup in need. “These adoptions are encouraging, and give you hope”, she says. “I’m ecstatic and relieved, but am always greedy for more such stories”.
While Sundar’s goal when adopting her was to contribute to the solution in a small way, he clarifies that it was not just an act of charity. “I don’t feel like I’m doing her a favour”, he says. “She’s gorgeous. And I fell in love with her”.
SRIYA NARAYANAN
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