Ria had odds stacked against her on 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 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,” says Anuja.
Speaking about the adoption process, Anuja says 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. I’m ecstatic and relieved, but am always greedy for more such stories,” she says.
Sunder, who plans to get Ria’s birth control surgery done when she’s ready, says, “Hundreds are born everyday and are beaten up or run over. We have to make a joint effort and prevent more Rias from being born”.
While his goal when adopting her was to contribute to the solution in a small way, he clarifies that it wasn’t just an act of charity. “I don’t feel like I’m doing her a favour. She’s gorgeous. And I fell in love with her,” he says.
