Personnel at the Ramanathapuram police station in Coimbatore City had a totally different case to handle on Monday night and Tuesday morning, when they had to locate two schoolboys who left home after a tiff with their parents for not permitting them to rear pet dogs.
Police traced the boys after a ten-hour search and restored them to their parents, but only after presenting each of them with a Pomeranian pup.
Following a police complaint lodged by the parents that Sathish (14) of Sowripalayam and Infant Kishore (14) of Marudhachalam Street, both studying in ninth standard at Ramanathapuram Boys Higher Secondary School had gone missing, police launched a search.
The two had left behind a joint letter at Kishore’s house, stating that they were disappointed over not being permitted to rear pet dogs at home. Hence, they were leaving their homes, they said in the letter.
Police looked for the missing boys at the railway station, bus stands and on the banks of all water bodies in the city. After dawn on Tuesday, police found them at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).
Inquiries with the boys confirmed that they were extremely depressed over not being able to have a pet dog.
Sympathising with the desire of the two youngsters, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Law and Order — South), K. Ramachandran and Inspector of Police (Law and Order — Ramanathapuram), R. Venkataraman chose to fulfil the wish of the boys before sending them back to their homes.
“Our Assistant Commissioner led the team in pooling money for buying two pups, each costing Rs. 2,000 and presenting them to the boys,” said Mr. Venkataraman.
When the police were asked what had prompted them to give the canines as gifts to the youngsters, they observed that the two had left home because of the failure on the part of the parents to understand the ‘small desire’.
Fortunately, the boys could be rescued and had not hastily taken any extreme decision.
“Parents should spend quality time with the children to understand what is in their minds, and what their desires, dreams and aspirations are.”
“When they expressed their disappointment over not being able to have pet dogs, we decided to fulfil their small desire,” Mr. Venkataraman added.
In return for the pups presented to them, the two boys have promised to show good performance in studies. They added that they would periodically come to the police station to show their progress cards.
